Hero and the Doctor: The Forest of Whispers
by SilverTortoise
Summary: Part 2/4 of the TIME GIRL SERIES - The 11th Doctor and Hero Smith, a human-turned-Time-Lady, take a well-deserved holiday to a tri-planet system. But why are the statues in the forest whispering? Who has disappeared? A SEQUEL TO "A GIRL NAMED HERO, A TIME LORD CALLED DOCTOR" 11th Doctor/OC
1. The Doctor Plans a Holiday

**Welcome back! Or to those who are meeting Hero Smith for the first time, welcome! Tea? Fish stick?**

**This is the second adventure with the eleventh Doctor and Hero Smith, an American college student who recently was changed back into her original Time Lord self by a vengeful race of meanie aliens (see my other story, "A Girl Named Hero, and Time Lord Called Doctor" for full details).**

**This story will hopefully be a bit less "dark" and more like the fluffier types of Doctor Who episodes which are thrown in every once in a while just for fun. I also will be adding a bit more romance, so get ready for a bit of fun! ;)**

**Please read and review, I really appreciate your feedback!**

**love, SilverTortoise.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the show's characters. I do, however, own Hero Smith. She is minez ;) hehehe**

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><p>Previously...<p>

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><p><em>Everyone, everything, every place was spinning before me, the raw power of the universe piercing into my very soul. I could feel the unending pulse of Time, the jagged edges of countless planets and species and languages and numbers... I was spinning in a spiral of white and rainbow and blue-tinged lightning, tears streaming from me into the core of existence, and I realized that I could see the reason for things, the purpose of all objects in the universe, the rushing tide of love and hate constantly battering against one another. Life and death blurred together until I couldn't tell whether an infant crying was about to take its last breath or if an old man staggering to his feet was breathing his first. Every possible emotion, every unthinkable moment of pain and joy and sorrow and wonder played out before my eyes, every war and hug and cry and laugh.<em>

_Everything._

_And then, walking across the expanse of nameless color and light, came a tall slender man in a suit and red bow tie. His angular face broke into a smile when he saw me, light streaming from my fingertips, tears of pure emotion on my face, and he raised a hand out to me, saying, "Welcome, Hero, I'm the Doctor. And you're ready to meet the universe."_

_I realized that I was holding on, that I was managing to cling to enough of myself to recognize my name, to feel my hearts flutter as his fingertips touched mine, to reply, "A doctor, hm? I've been needing one of those... What do you say we get out of here and do something... cool."_

_And thus began my new life as a Time Lady named Hero._

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><p>"What we need," the Doctor said, flitting around the TARDIS control panel and pressing all the brightest buttons, "is a holiday. When one has just survived death by an inch, lived to tell the tale, found a new friend..." He winked at me, and I giggled, "a good, old-fashioned, proper holiday is in order. The only question remains..." He paused in his administrations upon the console, and looked up at me, blue eyes twinkling, and I smiled at the angular, casually handsome Time Lord in front of me. His brown mop of hair flopped over his broad forehead, his red bow tie strange and just, well, <em>him<em> under his long chin. "Where to go first!" he finished, nearly shouting with excitement, and I wondered if the poor man had ever really had a day off in this life.

I grinned at the Doctor as I leaned against the console. I enjoyed watching the lights flicker and change before me. In the last span of twenty-four hours, one day since I'd looked into the Time Vortex for the first time, I found myself oddly drawn to the TARDIS' workings. I wanted to learn every name of every lever and button, I wanted to fly her for myself. The Doctor had said that this would come later, thatI had to come to terms with my new increased intelligence first.

The first thing I'd noticed was the vast number of patterns all around me. There were patterns in the wall, in speech, on the floor, in how my hair fell across my face, in the tiny lines on my fingertips. At first I was alarmed, feeling like I'd somehow contracted a mental illness, but within a few hours the bombardment of information became more manageable, and I was able to ignore most things just like I did naturally with my other senses. I also realized that I felt more aware of the Doctor's moods. This got a little strange at times, because he had a habit of appearing calm on the outside while under the surface he seethed with some unknown emotion. Often he was just happy, but the night before when I'd come across him in the library, he'd seemed... melancholy. He had brightened at once when he saw me, but I knew I hadn't imagined it. Maybe this holiday would give him something to be truly happy about; it was painful to see him feeling so sad and lonely all locked up in his own mind.

"Where are we going?" I asked him eagerly. A vacation with a well-traveled Time Lord was sure to be an unheard of treat, especially as it was with this _particular_ Time Lord who liked beautiful and unusual things.

"The Gypernion system, with the planets Gy, Pern, and Snow!" the Doctor cried, "I know the names aren't very original, well except for Snow of course... Well, I suppose we can't call the other ones boring either, as far as names go..."

"It's sounds really great," I interjected, reassuring him.

"You'll love it," he went on, making a few final adjustments to our course trajectory and pulling the console screen towards himself, "Gy is a city-planet with great cultural centers and hundreds of different species in one place! Pern is mostly a deep green forest which is home to a _very _odd species of sentient monkey which cares for the ancient temples and gardens there. And Snow... well, you can probably guess what makes that planet famous." He raised the main drive lever, and the TARDIS hummed into life, rocking gently back and forth like we were on a boat out at sea.

"That sounds..." Words nearly failed me as my heightened sense of adventure almost choked me with happiness, "awesome..."

"It'll be _fantastic_," he breathed, meeting my eyes once more. A small smile curved his lips as he regarded me, his new Time Lady companion, and I could tell he was more relaxed and at peace then I'd ever seen him. "It's good to not be alone," he said, and I nodded.

Our brief reverie was quickly broken as a new thought occurred to him. "Ooh! We get to pack!" He nearly capered about with enthusiasm.

…_**Get** to? _

I quickly stifled a laugh as he whirled around, completely distracted, and rushed headlong towards the doorway which led to the rest of the TARDIS. He was grinning to himself with what was apparently anticipation of packing, when he suddenly skidded to a halt in the doorway and turned to face me. I had remained near the console, smiling as I watched him run off like an excited school boy going on a field trip.

When he faced me, his face had grown serious, and he asked, "Are... are you sure you'd like to come with me?" Something in his tone made me sad.

"Of course!" I replied, genuinely puzzled at his question. I smiled encouragingly at him, then continued, "I can't wait!"

And then he smiled, really smiled, and his entire face lit up as he recognized my honesty. Then he winked teasingly at me, turned on his heel, and marched off to pack.

The TARDIS hummed to me, and I sensed a sort of question.

I giggled. _I'm sure it'll be fine. But really, when did the Doctor go anywhere and not get into trouble?_

[…]

_Really? Pluto? Wow..._


	2. Dinner and a Shirtless Time Lord

**She may be a Time Lady now, but Hero's still capable of getting her head into a spin! Read and review! :)**

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><p>"This is so cool, I feel like a real tourist!" the Doctor crowed, and I couldn't help but grin as we both surveyed the large hotel entrance hall around us. We'd parked the TARDIS in a special cargo bay in the Welcome Center on the city-planet, Gy, and the Doctor had led me with our bags down a long, brightly-lit corridor to the largest hotel in the city. So far I hadn't gotten a chance to look outside at the huge, endless city, and I couldn't wait to meet more aliens from different planets, maybe from different galaxies.<p>

As we approached the front desk of the hotel, we were greeted by a tall, thin alien with a scruffy bush of orange hair, pale blue skin, and large, sad green eyes. "_A Wombulan,_" the Doctor whispered briefly to me, then he went about arranging for our stay.

"Would... you like... the deluxe three... planet... tour...?" the Wombulan asked very very carefully, and I was astounded that he could speak English, albeit very slowly. I found out later that he was actually speaking his native tongue, just as much as we were speaking ours; the TARDIS was supplying the translation directly into my brain. The Wombulans were just... very careful with words.

"The deluxe package would be wonderful" The Doctor agreed, taking the large stack of shiny brochures offered to him from the other alien's slim blue hand.

"Excellent. We... are pleased... to welcome the... two... of you... humans... to the Gypernion system... Please... enjoy your stay, Mr... and Mrs. Smith..."

I didn't say anything, but as we walked away towards the double staircase, I shot the Doctor a look with raised eyebrows.

"I like to keep... undercover," he explained, shouldering both is own bag as well as my own, "being what we are, it's better to keep a low profile."

I chuckled, then smacked him on the arm lightly, "I figured that, silly! We certainly look like humans, at least on the outside. But did you really say we're 'Mr. and Mrs. Smith'?" I couldn't help but blush a little and smile as I said the words, hoping my making a big deal out of the situation didn't make him think I was a hopeless romantic or something.

The Doctor, oblivious as he usually was, actually looked a bit uncomfortable. "Yes, well," he began, clearing his throat, "I had to... improvise. We can't really pass for brother and sister, and the plan where you pose as my mother didn't seem to quite fit, so..." I realized that he was teasing me, and I pretended to look outraged.

"Your _mother?_ Really now, what if I was older than you, hm? I'd still have this face, but I'd be much more mature, capable, commanding..."

"Which is why _I'm_ actually the older one," he concluded, making a very superior face. But a moment later he smirked and ruined the momentary win.

After climbing the staircase, we reached a broad landing with at least twenty little elevators all crammed together. The Doctor chose the nearest one, pressed in the number "75" on the key pad, and beckoned me inside when the doors slid open. The journey upwards took a lot less time then I had imagined, and in a few moments the doors slid open once more and we stepped out into a very small room. The carpet was thick underfoot, and the only interesting feature about the room was the white door on one wall. The Doctor produced the key, looking excitedly at me, then opened the door.

Inside was a truly magnificent room complete with two large beds, a huge picture of a forest on the opposite wall, and what appeared to be a pair of cut-glass doors with a balcony which looked out over the city. At once I rushed to the doors, opening one carefully, and crept out onto the landing.

For a moment I couldn't breath. We were so much higher than I had thought, it felt like miles, and spread out before me was a vast city, much taller than any cities on Earth, stretching out to the horizon. Small space ships zoomed around beneath where I was standing, almost like there were floating roads that only they could see. Despite the city below, the air up here felt remarkably fresh against my face and this seemed comforting, somehow.

"Isn't it lovely," the Doctor murmured beside me, and I jumped a little since I hadn't heard him approach.

"Yeah," I said appreciatively, drinking in the sights, "Thanks for arranging this, you have no idea how excited I am about being on an alien planet, without an bad things or death threats or crazy monsters..."

"Yes, let's hope it stays that way," the Doctor replied quietly, but he smiled gently as he said it and I could sense that he felt as happy as I.

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><p>Dinner a few hours later was... interesting.<p>

Everything I tried tasted delicious, but I ended up having to eat most of my meal with my eyes closed because things that tasted a certain way didn't look at all like I thought such a taste should, and it was a bit confusing. The Doctor seemed perfectly at ease in this new environment, as he usually did, and greatly enjoyed himself ordering dozens of different foods and tasting each one. Fortunately, the hotel restaurant served everything in very small portions, so we were able to sample almost everything.

My personal favorite, though it was the most confusing to look at, was a dainty little mushroom thing which tasted exactly like fresh buttered corn, but I had a bit of a more adventurous time with a leafy vegetable which smelled and tasted like beef, and a terrible, evil little piece of what I thought was meatloaf and turned out to taste exactly like a mixture of toothpaste and earwax.

Just like with their language, the tale blue Wombulans who served us our meal made sure that our experience was as careful, methodical, and relaxing as possible. As a result, by the end of it I was struggling not to yawn, and the Doctor eyed me closely.

"Did you eat that fig-meat concoction?" he asked me very seriously, "very delicious, but I believe it may have been spiked with a soporific agent."

"No, I'm just a bit tired... I haven't slept since, well, since before I looked into the Vortex. I could sleep, you?" The Doctor nodded, and asked for the bill.

The journey up to our room seemed to take a bit longer since I was in a hurry to get to our beautiful room again. I stifled another yawn as we exited the elevator.

As soon as we were inside the room I chose the bed closest to the balcony and let myself fall down onto it. "Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah this is what I've been needing... I don't think I've slept in... 40 hours... at least..."

"Is it as comfy as it looks?" the Doctor asked eagerly, rummaging through his stay-over bag. I nodded, closing my eyes in bliss as the mattress neatly conformed to my form. Even though I was still in my day clothes, it felt fantastic. A moment later, I was startled by the sound of a large collision beside me, and I opened my eyes to see the Doctor bounce himself on the bed. What was more startling, however, was what he was wearing.

"Um... Doctor..." I managed, unsure whether to laugh or not.

He stopped bouncing, looking at me expectantly. His large mop of hair was tousled from his leap onto the bed, his features lit up with excitement of finding a new toy.

"Um..." I sat up, still staring at his attire, "Are you wearing a... night dress?" It was then that the laught I'd been holding in suddenly burst out, and I clapped my hand to my mouth as the Doctor looked highly affronted.

"It's a sleeping gown!" he protested, straightening the white, ankle-length garment around himself, "It's from 1896, a very good year on Earth!"

"I'm..." I chuckled, struggling not to laugh any harder, "I'm sure... it is! Um... as long as you're comfortable... But how did you even get into it so fast? Did you..." a horrendously funny thought occurred to me, and I laughed, "did you have that on under your suit jacket?"

"No..." the Doctor replied sheepishly, and standing up from the bed he slowly removed the odd garment, revealing his full set of normal clothes still there underneath, complete with suspenders and bow tie.

"I think that's intended to go just on your skin, Doctor," I explained, still grinning broadly, "you know, over your undergarments and stuff, but your jacket and shoes and pants aren't supposed to be there..."

He nodded, looking a bit deflated. Apparently he'd been happy wearing the nightgown over everything else. The smile on my face was replaced with a blush as he took off his jacket and unabashedly began to unbutton his white dress shirt. He had it nearly all the way open, revealing his pale, well-muscled chest, when I mentally shook myself and said quickly, "Yeah, go ahead and change, I'll be in the bathroom putting on my pjs." I grabbed my bag, darting over to the bathroom, and yanking open the door. I couldn't help but take one last look at the Doctor, who was now removing his shoes, shirt gone, and then I forced myself into the bathroom and hurriedly shut and locked the door.

I was confronted with my own flushed face in the mirror, and I could feel my twin hearts thudding a bit faster than normal. The Doctor was... _hot!_ Even with this new Time Lord pattern-crazy brain, I could still be affected by a good-looking man taking off his shirt. But why did it feel so wrong?

_What the hell, Hero. What. The. Hell._

Quickly I removed my clothes, avoiding my own gaze in the mirror, and then I timidly returned to the bedroom. I was greeted by the sight of the Doctor, curled up in his own bed, completely asleep. As I edged closer, I was struck by how peaceful and young his face looked now that his eyes were closed in sleep, his ancient, sad eyes. Smiling softly to myself, I turned out the light and climbed back onto my own bed, pulling back the covers and snuggling in. _Damn, this is comfy..._ The open doors to the balcony let in a light, fresh breeze which caressed the side of my hair which was exposed, and I closed my eyes. I wished I could sort out my feelings for the Doctor, powerful as they were; one moment I felt protective, like a sister, the next I was turning to mush inside when he winked at me, or smiled in that special Doctor-ish way, or started taking his clothes off...

With a soft sigh, I turned over in the bed, took a deep breath, and released my mind into the mysterious world of sleep.


	3. Midnight Tea Time

**Hello dear readers! If you've stuck with me this far, then this chapter shall be your reward... ;)**

**Extra goodies: After much thought and deliberation, I have chosen Shannyn Sossamon as my face claim for Hero... I have posted a little fan vid on youtube, which you can find and watch if you click on the link you'll find on my profile!**

**It's fun and short, plus it'll give you an idea of what Hero looks like with the Doctor!**

**Hope you enjoy this chapter, please read and review! 3**

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><p><em>There was a sea of glittering lights overhead, shining and twinkling like stars, and I felt myself rotating around in slow circles. I blinked. The flashing lights became to glass drops hanging from dozens of chandeliers over my head, and I was leaning back, apparently dancing. I could feel someone's arm firmly around my waist, keeping me from falling down on my back, but I couldn't see anything but the lights and the glittering glass and the beautiful, sharply-focused diamonds of glass. My arms were flung gracefully out at my sides, like I was in the midst of some odd, beautiful backwards bow, and I smiled. I felt... relaxed. Confident. I blinked again as I felt myself lifting up, back into a standing position. I felt like time was nearly slowed to a stop, like I was moving through molasses. After what felt like an hour I finally faced my dancing partner. <em>

_It was the Doctor._

_He pulled me close, his eyes shining with approval at me._

_And then I screamed as he slowly, painfully, turned to stone within my grasp._

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><p>I sat bolt upright, my hearts crashing together in my chest, my fists knotted at the sheets. My gasped for breath, my eyes searching for something, anything, that was familiar and safe. It was still dark in the hotel room.<p>

"You were dreaming," said a soft voice, and I turnedtowards the balcony to behold the Doctor, leaning against the railing, looking curiously at me, "I could feel that something was disturbing you, are you alright? Should I have woken you?" He looked a bit concerned in the dim light coming up from the city. He was no longer in his nightgown, but rather a pair of light gray pants and an undershirt.

"Um..." I was still trying to gather my thoughts, slowly releasing my iron grip on the bed and feeling my hearts gradually return to a normal pace, "No, no, it's okay. I'm okay..." I tried to sound convincing, but deep down I was still rather alarmed at the vividness of my dream. I shook my head a bit, trying to clear it.

"Would you like some tea?" the Doctor asked in his best British tone. I couldn't help but smile slightly as I nodded.

"So... why are you awake?" I asked as he walked over to a large cupboard in the wall and opened it to reveal a small kitchenette, "Actually, why am _I _awake?"

"Time Lord physiology," the Doctor replied, pressing a button in the wall and catching steaming hot water in a mug, "We don't need more than a few hours every couple of days, usually. Well," He looked at me in consideration, "_you_ may need a bit more, you're a lot younger than me. I find that with every passing century I sleep a bit less."

He brought over the hot mug of tea to me where I still sat in my bed, and I accepted it gratefully. I wasn't sure what it was about tea that calmed both of us down, but whatever it was it sure was effective. I took a small sip and sighed appreciatively.

"Thanks," I murmured, inhaling the delicious scent of tea and honey.

The Doctor took his own cup of tea and plopped down on the foot of my bed. Not wanting to be rude, I scooted down closer to where he was, abandoning my pillows and mussed up blankets. We sipped out tea for a moment in silence, and then a thought occurred to me.

"Doctor," I began, and he turned to face me, "can you tell me why I'm 87 years old, but only remember 22 years or so as a human and then just snippets of being a baby Time Lord?"

The Doctor considered me for a moment, his face solemn. "When I said that what happened on the DakTar planet was your first regeneration, I was wrong. You've regenerated once before, as a child, which sometimes can through off one's aging process a bit..." I apparently looked a bit confused, so he elaborated, "Sometimes when a Time Lord baby is born, they age rapidly and can begin their education early. I was such a child. But sometimes, the first body of a Time Lord resembles that of a much older person, it ages very slowly, it doesn't develop the person it's meant to develop. So you understand?"

"So... I was like that?" I asked, "I... I stayed a baby or something?"

The Doctor tried a different tactic, "Well, you didn't _stay_ a baby, no, but it took several decades for you to reach the age of, well, let's say six or seven. You were about forty years old with the mind of a young child."

"That's..." I couldn't really find words to describe my discomfort.

"it was hard on your parents, who were friends of a friend. When an accident occurred, I'm not sure what, and you regenerated, the same thing happened again and you were once again stuck as a baby. So... they called a doctor."

For a second I thought he meant an actual doctor, and then felt rather silly a moment later when I realized that he meant himself. My parents had asked the much-younger doctor for help.

"Yes," the Doctor continued, almost as if he could hear exactly what I was thinking, "they called me and I came zooming over to the rescue..." He smiled briefly, but then it faded. "You were so small, and as far as I could tell, even though I could talk to you, you didn't seem to remember your past incarnation at all."

"Wait, you could talk to me?"

"Yes, I speak baby."

I raised my eyebrows at him.

"I speak everything!" He looked slightly affronted.

"Okay, okay," I said, patting his arm, "I'm sorry. Please..." I gestured for him to continue, which he did at once.

"Anyway, around this same time, there was, well... A long time ago, around this same time, the Time Lords and these cruel, heartless, beasty aliens called the Daleks began to fight a terrible, terrible war. It was called the Time War, and the only way to... end it... was for both species to go down fighting. I was having to make some very difficult choices, and your mother knew that the end could come at any moment, and she asked for my help." The Doctor looked very sad and guilty all of a sudden as he began speaking about the Time War, and I was reminded again of how much he had lost.

"I remember that part," I said, trying to encourage him, "You offered to send me away, change me into a human..."

"And it worked, it worked splendidly," he replied, looking a bit happier, "apparently what you needed was a stint as a human, a couple decades of fast growth to give you a mind, family, friends...boyfriends..."

I squirmed. "Not so much of those," I muttered, and he unfortunately heard me.

"Our Hero's not one to frolic with the lads, hm?" he smirked, teasing me.

I blushed. "No! Well, no, but... none of them were ready for anything other than making out, and that got boring. I decided when I started college to wait for the smart, responsible ones and, well, I was still waiting when you picked me up." I said this all as frankly as possible, but to be honest I was crawling with embarrassment. I was sure that the Doctor, oblivious as he was in this body, was handy with the ladies... He probably thought I was even more of a child now that he knew about my inexperience with proper relationships.

"Hm..." was his only comment, and he gave me a small smile. Realizing that he wasn't going to rub anything in, I relaxed a bit.

"Erm," I cleared my throat, "So! Being human for a bit was... the best thing that ever happened to me?"

"Strange, isn't it?" the Doctor replied, setting down his still-full mug of tea on the carpet and stretching out his legs, "Sometimes I feel like fate and life and death and happiness and everything are all tied up in one big bubble of tumbly-wumbly, strange stuff."

"_Tumbly-wumbly?_" I choked, and immediately launched into a fit of laughter.

He Doctor pretended to look hurt, then chuckled himself. "Oops, that slipped out. That's a remnant of my _last_ body, he liked rhyming..."

Recovering slightly, I managed to speak coherently, "You talk about your other bodies as though they're sometimes different people, like you have the same memories and stuff, but are still not quite..."

"...the same person." the Doctor finished, "yes, it's strange, but there you are. It's positively timey-wimey." I poked him, unable to keep from giggling again, and he squirmed in ticklishness.

"Strangy-wangy," I gasped, doubled over in laughter, and the Doctor chuckled softly and patted me on the back as I started to cough. I waved him away, catching my breath, and when I looked up I found that his face was very close to mine. I suddenly became aware of our bodies' proximity, and I grew very still.

"I'm glad things turned out the way they did, Hero Smith," the Doctor murmured, looking straight into my eyes. I realized that I was holding my breath, and I let it out slowly.

"Yeah..." I replied, feeling my mouth go dry as he didn't move away but instead stayed within a foot of me, "weird how it turned out for the better..."

A small smile played around his lips, and I realized for the first time that his eyes weren't solid blue, but rather a mix of greens and blues and a tiny hint of gold. I swallowed as I looked back at the Doctor, and the seconds stretched out in silence. I had secretly hoped for something... unexpected... like this to happen, but now that it was I was completely speechless. I could feel my face grow hot and was sure that I was as red as a beet.

Suddenly the Doctor's gaze flickered down from my eyes to my lips and back up again very quickly. Just as quickly he suddenly looked embarrassed and a little ashamed of himself, and he sat upright abruptly.

"I think I'll sleep a couple more hours," he commented in a normal tone of voice, but his cheekbones were slightly flushed. He felt around for his tea mug and I noticed that his hands were a bit shaky as he grabbed it, "This tea really did me a lot of good." He smiled broadly at me, then stood up from the foot of the bed and carefully set his mug down on the counter where he'd found it. Then he turned and got back into his own bed.

"Okay," I murmured, still in shock and knowing that my response was still a bit delayed.

"Goodnight, Hero," the Doctor said, and he smiled shyly at me before turning over on his other side and pulling the covers up and almost completely over him. Unsure of what to do next, I got up slowly and went to set my nearly mug down beside his.

I yawned in spite of myself. _Damn... that tea worked..._ I crawled back under my sheets, tucking them carefully around me, and closed my eyes. My hearts were continuing to flutter, despite my growing fatigue, and I knew that whatever had made the Doctor move away from me and hurry off to bed, it certainly wasn't the tea. He hadn't drunk more than a sip of it.


	4. Psychedelic Flowers

The small furry alien was painting fantastic, intricate patterns on my inner forearm, chirping with delight as he did so. His tiny paintbrush felt cold and tickly on my skin as it made tiny strokes of black paint. I smiled down at him, enjoying his work, glad I'd let the Doctor talk me into getting what he called a "gobflower ink charm."

We were in the center of an underground market at the bottom of the city, surrounded by all the odd new sights and smells and sounds of a bustling alien world... and I was getting the Gy equivalent of a henna tattoo painted onto my arm. For some reason I felt strangely... at home. The busy market place reminded me a lot of fairs and farmers' markets back home on earth, though here there were a lot of very odd-looking aliens and the wares were infinitely more interesting.

The Doctor stood beside me, his head nearly bent over where the furry alien was painting me, his long hair flopped in his face.

"Fascinating..." he breathed, admiring the tiny, delicate brushstrokes that were coming together to form a truly beautiful flower.

"So..." I asked the artist, "what is the purpose of this tattoo? It's so pretty!"

The alien quirked his head to one side at the unfamiliar word, "tattoo," but seemed to get the gist, "Eet ees... charm... beaut-ee-fool flower for beaut-ee-fool alien lady." He gestured to me, and I stifled a laugh.

"I'm no princess, sir, but thanks," I couldn't help but smile, and the Doctor caught my eye. His expression made me giggle again, and then I forced my face into a very serious expression as the artist looked up, apparently finished with his creation on my arm.

"Eet ees done," he said, and I raised my arm to inspect it properly. The alien had painted the tiniest details into the flower, and I felt a bit awed by his talent.

"Th-thanks," I said, still holding my arm up to let the ink dry, "How much?"

"Let me," the Doctor interjected pulling out some purple and silver coins from his pants pocket and presenting them to the furry alien. The artist grinned, revealing smooth, white teeth, and took the money.

"You pay well," he said, "so you will have _best_ charm." He looked at me as if he was proud of me or something, and I felt a bit confused.

"I'm sorry, _best_ charm?"

"Yees. You and the tall man are kind, so you are blessed," the alien replied, gesturing towards the Doctor and I.

"O-okay, thanks," I replied, getting up from my low stool and smiling politely at the furry creature, "that's a nice thing to say."

The alien didn't respond, only smiled wider, and made an odd gesture over my outstretched arm. A warm, fuzzy, humming sound resonated in his chest, and then he lowered his hand and turned from us. Apparently we were being dismissed.

I smiled and shrugged at the Doctor, who looked pleased, and we left the little painting booth, I still admiring my arm art and he looking around the market excitedly. I was still letting my arm dry as we approached another stall, this one was filled with beautiful, glowing lamps, and the stall-keeper greeted us warmly. She was tall and thin like the Wombolans, but pink instead of blue. I vaguely wondered if she actually was one of that species and whether their females were just that color.

"Ahhh!" she exclaimed, noticing the painted flower on my arm, "that is a... very... expensive... charm!" _Ah... she _is_ a Wombulan..._ "You are... very lucky! I... envy you..." She smiled kindly down at the Doctor and I.

"Why, thank you!" the Doctor chirped, but I was starting to get a weird feeling about what I'd had painted on my arm. It was drawing a lot of attention. "How much for that blue lamp, please?" the Doctor continued, "I'm very fond of lamps, especially blue ones, well, any color really, but especially blue ones..."

As he kept talking, I began to feel a weird warmth growing inside me, like I had a slight fever. I tried to ignore it as the Doctor and the Wombulan lady haggled over price, but soon it intensified to the point that I felt a bit light-headed.

"Doctor..." I murmured in spite of myself, "Doctor, I don't feel very normal..."

He stopped talking at once, turning towards me in concern.

"What is it?" he asked, feeling my forehead at once like I was a sick child, "where does it hurt?" His large blue eyes grew larger with worry.

I tried to wave him off, feeling a bit embarrassed. My heart rates were starting to speed up.

"No, no, it doesn't hurt," I said, gently removing his hand from my forehead, "I think I have a fever or something... It feels... really weird..."

"You're getting a bit... flushed..." the Doctor said, touching my left cheek with interest.

"It is... the charm!" the Wombulan lady interjected, and the Doctor and I froze, turning towards her very slowly.

"_HUH?_" We both sounded very intelligent and informed. Not.

"The... charm... the gobflower ink... charm... a charm of... love and... happiness... Didn't you pay... for it?"

I stared at her with a mixture of horror and rising hilarity which felt oddly unattached to me.

"So, wait, he... What?" the Doctor said, pointing to the furry alien's art stall behind us and then to me and then back again. He looked very flustered. "Excuse us..." He took hold of my hand, pulling me back across the road to where the alien artist was still in his shop.

I started giggling, I'm not even sure why, and blurted out, "Ooh Doctor you're strong!" He stopped dead in the middle of the busy street, a look of horror on his face like I'd just admitted to a murder. Then he wheeled around, dragging me into the alien's stall, then pointed wildly at the painting on my arm and said very sternly, "What have you done? What is this?"

The poor alien look genuinely confused and embarrassed, "Eet ees a love charm, you paid for eet... That is what the gobflower ees known for, eets... exciting properties." I stifled another giggle, feeling oddly at peace with what the alien was saying, even as the Doctor looked more and more unnerved.

"So she... she's being affected by it?" he nearly shouted, waving his arms frantically.

"Of course! Eet will only last for a short time, so use eet well!" the alien said hurriedly, gesturing to me. This seemed like enough information to me, so I turned and began to walk out of the stall. I could hear the Doctor splutter behind me, but for some reason I didn't care. The heat inside me was very calming, somehow, even though my hearts were racing and my chest was heaving up and down. I actually managed to walk about twenty feet before the Doctor caught up to me, and he took me by the shoulders, turning me to face him. The feeling of his fingers on me made me shudder, and I felt my face grow more flushed. Then I giggled. "Doctor, not in public, you naughty man!"

"Hero..." the Doctor spoke softly, but even in this odd state I could sense his concern, "maybe we should go back to the hotel for a bit, wait until this stuff wears off... I'm so, so sorry I talked you into it!"

"But it's so pretty!" I protested, feeling tremors race through my whole body as he took hold of my hands. I was momentarily fascinated by his left earlobe, and I stared at it intently.

"Come on," he said, beginning to pull me along, and I laughed out loud as his hair flopped comically about.

"Are you always this commanding?" I inquired, between giggles, "Ooh doctor, you're so sexy when your pulling me around... You should do it more!" I felt absolutely no embarrassment as I let my mouth say these things, and the Doctor merely gave me a rather pitying look and continued to lead me back through the crowds of aliens towards our hotel.

"I think we should head to the forest planet after this, Pern... It'll be calming and... make you less crazy..."

"Crazy?" I said, and I realized that I was having more difficulty speaking clearly for some reason, but it didn't bother me, "Crazzzy?" I slurred again, just as the Doctor pulled me into the hotel's main entrance and hurried me off to the elevator, "I'm not the crazy one, Doctor, _you_ are! Floating around in a box... finding random people to snog, being bloody beautiful all the time..." I had lapsed into a weird British accent, slang words and all. We were in the elevator now, and the Doctor tried to shush me as politely as possible. After some consideration, he decided that placing a finger against my lips would do the trick. I did indeed stop talking, staring back at him as he continued to rest his fingertip against my mouth. The heat in my body nearly overwhelmed me, and my knees gave out. With a sigh, the Doctor caught me, picking me up in his arms just as the elevator door slid open to reveal the door of our room.

I was beginning to feel a bit sleepy, and I yawned.

"Mmmmm... Doctor... Do you always carry girls around? Hey..." I was struck with a sudden thought, "Do you like peanut butter? Cuz I could do with come damn good sexy peanut butter right now..." The Doctor chuckled, shaking his head at me, carrying me into the room. The sun was still shining outside, but I stifled another huge yawn. "Peanut butter is good..." I could feel myself becoming more and more relaxed, like I was becoming boneless, "it's sexy good with honey, why do I keep saying that word? Sexy..." The Doctor laid me down on my bed, arranging the pillows around me.

"Sleep it off, Hero," he murmured, gently stroking my hair off my forehead, "You poor silly thing, everything happens to you, doesn't it?" He smiled kindly, continuing to stroke my hair. I was having trouble keeping my eyes open, but I still had so much to tell him.

"Peanut butter... butter and honey..." I mumbled, blinking slowly. I liked how his hand felt on my forehead, it was soothing, and it didn't effect me as strongly as it would have a few minutes before, "Wanna... wanna be my honey? Doctorrrrr?" I murmured, then let my eyes close properly.

The Doctor bent closer over me, I could sense his nearness. "Sleep, Hero," he murmured softly, and I felt him press a gentle kiss to my forehead. I sighed, snuggling deeper into my pillows. "I'll be whatever you need me to be," the Doctor whispered, and then I slipped off into a deep, dreamless sleep.

* * *

><p>"<em>Damn... my head...<em>" I sat up slowly, a bit surprised to find myself in bed even though I vaguely remembered being set into it. My head was throbbing painfully and I felt a bit groggy. "What... Doctor?"

"Apparently," said the Doctor's voice on the other side of the room, "the paint on your arm was taken from a very potent plant, which has similar properties to Benzodiazepine in terms of its ability to relax the individual who is affected and to... relax the mental faculties as well."

I opened my eyes, staring at him. "You mean to tell me... that... the stupid flower on my arm was like a... a date rape drug? What the hell!" I got up from my bed carefully, feeling completely stupid that I'd let something like that be applied to my body. A smart part of my brain was telling me that it was what I'd paid for, that the alien artist was only doing what we'd asked, but I still felt angry. I rounded on the Doctor. "You talked me into this! I... I..." My mind was suddenly flooded with crystal-clear memories of the things I'd done while under the flower's influence... What I'd _said_... "Oh god..."

Staring in horror at the Doctor, I quickly added, "I said some... pretty stupid things..."

"You were not in your right mind, Hero," the Doctor said soothingly, patting my arm, "I've had the same thing happen to me. Well, strictly speaking it wasn't the same thing, well, sort of, but there was this Antonilian wine..."

"Please..." I muttered, rubbing my head, "please just forget everything I said..."

"Alright," he replied, smiling faintly, "but you know... sometimes it takes a little _intervention_ to get the truth to come out." He winked at me, then walked towards the door of the hotel room. "Dinner's in an hour, just so you know, I'll leave you to yourself..."

I continued to gape at his retreating back as what he'd said sunk in. Then I remembered his gentle kiss on my forehead just as I was falling asleep, his words, "I'll be whatever you need me to be" … I could feel myself blush.

_Get a grip, Hero, nothing's happened._

I walked to the bathroom, taking off my clothes and stepping into the large shower. I sighed as the hot water hit me and began to sooth my headache somewhat. Somehow I couldn't deny that the Doctor was hinting around at something, and I felt myself smile in spite of my aching head as I replayed his little smile and wink before he'd left the room.

_Why am I such a hopeless romantic?_

* * *

><p><em><em>**Why indeed ;)**


	5. The Whispering Statues

Thankfully, the day I got all drugged up and tried to sweet-talk the Doctor was our last on Gy. The next morning, we boarded the inter-planetary transport, which look remarkably like a bus with jet engines attached to it. Unfortunately for me, the windows were small and given how short I was compared to the Doctor... there wasn't much of a view.

But when we landed... Oh my.

This planet, the forest planet of Pern, was breathtaking, one great big redwood rainforest. The sky was completely obscured by green, the air was green, the mist weaving around us was cool and wet and green. I took a deep breath as we stepped out of the space bus. The air smelled of earth and growing things.

"Lovely," I murmured, trying to get my eyes to look everywhere at once. The Doctor stood silently beside me, his eyes wide and appreciative as he took in the scene around us. Turning to me, he smiled softly and I felt him take my hand.

The other tourists on the space bus were departing if different directions, disappearing in small groups into the forest.

"_Come along, Smith,_" the Doctor whispered, "_We've got our own place, I believe..._"

I grinned and let him lead me by the hand down a narrow path between tall trees. The air was so still and fragrant. I felt like I could just plop myself down on the ground and take in deep lungfuls of air until I eventually died of old age.

But the Doctor led me on. After a few moments, we rounded a bend and paused as a small clearing opened up in front of us. Here and there, half exposed to the sky and half in the trees, stood several stone buildings, obviously very old and covered in lush moss. A small garden was planted nearby, and up ahead I could see several small creatures clothed in white robes moving about the small village structure.

"_The holy monks of the order of Apliss,_" the Doctor murmured, gesturing towards the aliens. On closer inspections, they looked a bit like the monkeys found on earth, chimps maybe, except they held themselves fully upright and their faces seemed regal, even at this distance.

"_Let's go say hello!_" The Doctor guided me through the last remaining trees, down into the small stone village. The monks paid us no heed, continuing about their business as though we weren't there. The Doctor looked thrilled as he watched them, "_According to the tour guide, the monks have taken a vow of silence... which can only be broken if they are asked a question. Brilliant, isn't it!_"

I drank in the sight of the tree-saturated buildings, the quietness which settled everywhere like a soothing blanket. I smiled, then noticed a small sign on the path just ahead. It appeared to be hand-written and bore the words "M. and Ms. Smeht" in wiggly letters on it. I pointed out the sign, which seemed to be in front of one of the small stone buildings. The Doctor nodded eagerly; apparently the building was where we were going to stay for the next few days. Curious, I walked up to the crumbling structure and peered in. At first my view was obstructed by a hanging curtain,_ for privacy, that's good,_ but I moved this aside and was greeted with a dim room which was sunken into the smooth stone floor of the building. Inside was a small, elegantly designed basin with carvings of trees on its sides; this was large enough for a human-sized person to sit and bathe. I assumed that this was the bath, and I turned to take in the rest. The remaining floor space was taken up by two carefully arranged sleeping mats with a few blankets and pillows, an empty fire pit, and a large wooden chest.

Despite the rustic quality of the room, I absolutely loved it.

"_Ooh let me see,_" the Doctor whispered excitedly. I had forgotten about him, and stepped aside so that he could check out our lodgings as well. He eagerly peeked around the door frame, grinning like a boy, and then stepped inside. After taking another look around the peaceful village, I followed him in past the heavy curtain.

The Doctor marched to the middle of the room, turning to me and spreading his arms wide. "What do you think?"

"It's so beautiful here," I replied, carefully setting down my bag and sitting down on the floor, "It reminds me of the Californian Redwood forests, a bit, everything's so green..."

"Yeah..." he said, sitting down beside me, criss-cross applesauce, "What should we do first?"

I sat back a bit to get comfortable. "What are our choices?"

"Well," he counted off on his fingers, "we could take a walk on one of the famous holy paths into the heart of the forest, we could go tree-climbing and see who wins, we could read a good book, I brought a lot of them..."

"The holy path thing sounds cool," I interjected, "What makes it holy? Are there, like, shrines and stuff?"

"I have absolutely no idea," the Doctor replied excitedly, and I resisted the urge to hug him. This crazy, mop-headed man had a way of infecting me with his excitement and general enthusiasm. I smiled but bit my lip as I was again struck by how attractive the Doctor was to me, in so many ways. _It's not just his looks, though he _is_ pretty gorgeous, it's his... himness. He's the Doctor._

"Come on!" The Doctor leaped to his feet, taking me with him, and pulled me out the door.

* * *

><p>"... and then the chief monk, Abostos, he started this religious sect which encouraged the order to go deeper and deeper into the forest, in search of truth. Isn't funny how time passes all wibbly-wobbly when you're going straight through it, in the right order? At least it doesn't feel slow, well, at least not right now..."<p>

I was leading us down a beautiful, tree-lined path, and the was Doctor babbling behind me. I couldn't help but smile at his running commentary. I felt pretty certain that few people would find it annoying, but I found it... endearing... mainly because I knew he was doing it to cover something else up, and also because I knew his brilliant brain was nearly overflowing with thoughts that, if unreleased, could drive him mad.

Still, I stopped and turned back to him, as he was just starting to talk about the blue-belled flowers that were sprinkled here and there around us, and I gently placed a finger against his mouth. He hushed at once, looking surprised. We stayed like that for a moment, not speaking.

"Just for a moment, Doctor," I murmured, slowly removing my fingertip from his warm lips even though part of me didn't want to, _Naughty Hero! Stop that!_ "Listen to the sounds the forest is making..." I continued. He did, cocking his head to one side to hear better. There was a small breeze which ruffled the upper canopy of the ceiling of leaves above us, and somewhere water was flowing over rocks. I heard the Doctor sigh quietly, and when I glanced at his face he looked very relaxed and... happy. A small smile curved his mouth, and his eyes met mine.

"Thank you," he murmured, his deep blue eyes ancient and kind and... something else I couldn't identify.

Wordlessly, I took his hand and we continued down the path together, silently this time. All around us the forest felt so incredibly alive, so green and throbbing with life, that I felt like I could actually _hear_ everything growing. It had been a good decision to take a walk through these woods, since it felt like someplace I could stay forever. No wonder the monks liked this place for its beauty and solitude.

After several minutes, we passed between two extra large tree trunks, and found ourselves at the brink of a small, overgrown ravine. Old stone steps led down into it, and here and there among the low-hanging branches I could see a few statues. We paused, then after a silent agreement we went on. Here it was a bit darker and more quiet than it had been up in the main part of the forest. I sensed something different about this place, something older and more ancient than anything we'd seen yet, but it didn't frighten me – it intrigued me instead.

"_What is this place..._" I whispered, slowing my steps as we approached the first statue. It was a woman, beautifully carved, and life-size. The woman looked quite human as I looked her up and down, until I noticed her sharply-pointed ears and large, cat-like eyes.

"A Narvan female," the Doctor murmured, examining the stone work, "This statue is very... very old, almost as old as I am." I too leaned closer, marveling at how realistic and detailed the artist had been in carving the woman's features and clothes. He long robes folded and draped across her slender body as if they'd been placed there, not carved. If she hadn't been made of stone (I touched her gown to be sure), she would have looked real. I shivered slightly.

"Odd," the Doctor continued, looking around the back for any clues as to the statue's purpose, "There are no artist marks, and no tool marks that I can see... Whoever made this must have been a master at his craft." I nodded, noticing all of the details that he was pointing out. "But look at this one!" the Doctor said excitedly, pointing to the next statue and moving towards it, "Different species, this one is an adolescent male from the planet Logos, but the same perfect carving technique. How astonishing."

This second statue was slightly small than the first, and the model appeared much more alien to me right away; this person had very long arms and legs, with a small yet muscular torso and a long narrow face which looked peacefully out into nothing. I wasn't sure how the Doctor could tell the subject was young, but I could tell right away that it was male because... Well, it wasn't wearing any clothes. The artistry of this statue was equal to that of the first; I thought I could even see the texture of the skin carved straight into the stone. It was magnificent.

"I wish I knew the purpose of these statues," the Doctor said, looking at the pair of them with a careful eye, "See, there are a total of five, all in this one area, each a different species, and look... that one on the end is an Apliss monk like the ones letting us sleep in their village."

We moved forward eagerly to look at this particular statue. It was just as well-carved as the others, yet also unmarked and unnamed. We stared at it for a moment in silence, wondering.

"I'm going to look up here on this hill, just a moment," The Doctor moved away from me, climbing slowly up the steep side of the ravine. Apparently he wanted to see what was just beyond, above in the main forest.

I turned back to the group of statues, continuing my appreciative examination on my own. I could hear the Doctor moving through the brush somewhere behind me as I bent to take a closer look at the feet of a tall, narrow figure. This alien had delicate, narrow feet, with fur growing on the ankles that looked soft enough to touch. I brushed my finger against it, but it was cold hard stone.

There was a sigh behind me, almost like the wind, but something in my Time Lord brain woke up and I turned around rather quickly, scanning the area around me.

There was nothing. Except for the third statue, which was of a young man, humanoid and apparently scaled.

I stood very still for a moment, wondering what the sound was. I decided to return to examining the other statue's feet, when suddenly I heard the sound again. It was decidedly not wind at all, but rather... breath.

I whipped my head back and forth, trying to find the source of the sound. Whatever it was sighed again, and I felt a chill spread over me. "Doctor..." I said, then realized how stupid I was since he was much further away. I didn't want to shout just yet, not until I knew better what was going on, but I felt an odd mix of fear and excitement which made me want the Doctor by my side... just in case.

"_Purpossssssssssssse..._"

The word, I heard it very clearly, was whispered long and breathily nearby, and I gasped. "Hello?" I said, trying to keep my voice steady, straining my ears to hear anything else.

"_Purpose... Purpose..._" The same word was repeated several times, clearer and clearer, though still very softly, and I jerked backwards as I realized that whatever was speaking... was in the direction of the tall scaly alien in front of me. I jumped again when suddenly the features of the alien's noble face seemed to twitch, move.

"Doctor!" I cried, in spite of my earlier decision to be brave and stick this one out. The statue was clearly vibrating now, the pale stone color slowly but surely changing into a light green. The young male's face was still calm, but I felt myself go numb with shock as his eyes moved and focused on... me.

There was a heart-stopping crashing in the underbrush as the Doctor leaped towards me, almost out of nowhere.

"I heard you shout," he panted, apparently having just been running, "are you alright? There's really nothing going on up there, by the way, I checked..."

Silently I pointed to the squirming statue, which was now in full color, like a back-and-white photo that had been changed. The statue was coming to life right before our eyes. The alien's skin was pale green, delicately scaled, and I could see his arms beginning to move slowly upward, like he was struggling to reach his face.

"What..." the Doctor breathed, looking just as surprised as I, though admittedly I probably looked much more freaked out. He was used to weird things happening.

There was a grating noise from the throat of the statue-turned-alien, the beginnings of speech, and then in a rush the figure suddenly collapsed into his stone pedestal, crying out. The Doctor and I both made identical jerking movements as we contemplated helping the now-breathing alien. We both decided to stay put, gaping at the struggling person before us. Then the alien sat up, looking straight at us, and smiled broadly revealing pale green teeth.

"Thank you!" he cried, slowly getting down from the pedestal and straightening up, "At last, I have found my purpose! I shall be..." He paused, scratching his green chin as though he was searching for something, "Ah! Yes!" he cried, smiling at the Doctor and I broadly, "I shall be an explorer!"

"Wait..." I said, barely able to comprehend what had just happened. The tall, muscular alien stretched a bit, then looked at the pair of us expectantly.

"What..." the Doctor gasped, looking completely confused and excited all at once.


	6. Proposals and Awkward Conversations

**Wow, two long-ish chapters in a row! Woo hoo! :)**

**In this chapter, Hero will be faced with an uncomfortable question, and later she will dance around her own feelings for the Doctor. How will he respond? Well, if his reaction to Amy in "Flesh and Stone" is any indication, not so well...**

**Oh dear... ;)**

* * *

><p>"Wait... what just happened..." I stammered, looking carefully at the now-flesh-and-blood alien in front of me. He was still stretching out his arms as though he'd been standing there as a statue for a very long time indeed.<p>

"Hello," the young man said brightly, "Goodness it's been a while! Thank you for helping me, I was just beginning to wonder if I'd ever get off that rock pile."

"Um, sorry," the Doctor said, carefully removing his sonic screwdriver from his tweed jacket and doing a quick scan, "but what exactly is a..." He consulted the sonic's results, "...what is a _Thadian pescoform_ doing in a garden of statues? Exactly?"

"The Garden of Truth, you mean," the Thadian pescoform replied, looking confused, "It was my destiny that you should come along, exploring, and reveal the truth about who I should become. You really have no idea what this means to me... All those years, frozen, thinking and thinking and _hoping_..."

"Ahhhhh," the Doctor murmured, and I looked at him quizzically, "I see, this place," He gestured broadly, "is full of... _something_... which transforms a person, any person, into a stone statue... Until the right moment. Interesting..."

I still felt completely lost, "Wait, so you came here, or something, walked into this garden, and you just _turned into a statue_?" I admit there was a bit of panic in my voice.

"I was seeking the truth!" the alien cried, his long noble face shining with emotion, "No other person could give me the answer for my life's quest, so I took the advice of the monks, came to this sacred place, and... was transformed. Being made of stone taught me patience, peace, solemnity..." I raised my eyebrows a bit.

"_Now now, be nice..._" whispered the Doctor, and I reluctantly changed my face of disbelief into a broad smile. "He's a Thadian, of the scaled line, and I know for a _fact_ that your family prides itself on each of their sons having a life quest, yes?" The alien nodded. "There, you see? He's fulfilled his destiny, and now he can go look for things or... something..." The green-scaled alien grinned.

"Well!" I said, a bit louder than I'd planned, "how, er, lovely! Perhaps we should all leave this place" I nudged the Doctor, "and go back to the village! You know, show the monks that you're fine, and... not made of rock..."

"You are wise," the alien agreed, and quite suddenly he turned and strode off towards the stone staircase. His legs were much longer than either the Doctor's or mine, so we had to trot to keep up. "My name is Clos, by the way," the Thadian called, his back muscles rippling as he ascended the stairs.

"Erm... Hello..." I replied weakly, still a bit shocked at the sight of a perfectly healthy person who a few moments ago was still and gray.

Glancing over at the Doctor, I was a bit surprised to see how serious he looked.

"Doctor, is there something wrong? Do you think he might be dangerous?"

The Doctor looked at me, a bit surprised, as though he had no idea I'd been looking at him. "No, not at all," he replied, smiling, "the universe never fails to surprise, as always..." I had a strange feeling that his smile was a bit less than genuine, but wasn't able to consider my theory more as the doctor quickened his steps and led us along after Clos.

* * *

><p>"I wonder whether my parents are still living," Clos said, looking like what he was saying was perfectly normal. The Doctor and I were seated across a small fire pit from the alien, trying to learn more about that one special part of the forest planet. "They would be pleased to learn of my success," the alien continued, "Oh, I'm sorry, <em>our<em> success, you've been so very helpful..." He beamed at us, then hastily began eating the bowl of soup I'd gotten for him. So many years as a statue sure did make a person hungry... and chatty.

"So tell me, Clos," the doctor began, "what happens now? Do you get a ship and go off into the stars, seeking adventure? Knowledge?"

"No, not at first," Clos replied, wiping his mouth politely, "You see, according to the laws of my people, I must find a companion upon whom I can fully rely, my travel partner through life."

"You mean... a spouse," the Doctor murmured, and I glanced at him quickly; his tone was light and casual, but I sensed something deeper, buried underneath the polite words.

"A _valma," _Clos agreed, smiling, "a lady who will pledge herself to me and I to her, and she must be special." He continued to chatter on about this lovely lady companion, but for a moment I turned m attention to the Doctor; his face was grave, his eyes stormy and sad despite the apparent calm in the rest of his lanky body. Then, as he watched the young alien talk happily about his perfect mate, a little sad smile crossed his lips and he let out a long, silent sigh. I looked away, biting my lip. Seeing the Doctor obviously trying to hide some unhappy thought made me kind of sad.

"... and her hair was like gold," Clos was saying, "But, Doctor, I have a question for you, and I hope you don't mind..." The Doctor looked up, arranging his features to look polite. "How old are you?" Clos asked, as if this was the normal way one got to know someone new. Well, perhaps it was.

The Doctor smiled kindly, though his eyes remained sad. "I'm nine hundred and twelve," he replied, "though I admit it's difficult to keep up with these things, I never seem to do anything in the right order..."

"Ah," Clos murmured, nodding solemnly, "I see that you are a venerable elder or great wisdom."

"Well, I don't know about all that," the doctor chuckled.

"And you?" Clos added, turning towards me, "your face is also young, like the elder's, are you also well-aged?"

I laughed, though kindly. "No, I'm only eighty-seven or so, just a wee babe..." I smiled wide, realizing that for once it didn't feel strange to admit how old I really was. Perhaps I was adjusting to being a Time Lord.

The green-scaled alien's eyes grew wide as he regarded me, and he said, seriously, "Then we are nearly the same age, how fortunate..."

"Yeah, that's pretty cool," I replied, still smiling, "It's a good age to be!"

"I think I'll have a word with one of the monks," the Doctor said suddenly, and though his tone was calm I looked at him sharply.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," he said, smiling mildly down at me as he rose to his feet, "You and Clos keep visiting, I'll only be a few minutes." Then without a backward glance he strode away, hands stuffed into his tweed pockets. I stared after him for a moment, feeling a bit confused.

"So, do you travel in the stars?" Clos asked, and I looked back at him and nodded.

"It's pretty great," I explained, "The Doctor, he shows me all of these different worlds and times, I learn something new every minute. We're... the same species, he and I..."

"Are you his mate?" Clos asked bluntly, and for the first time since I'd met him, his boyish face grew serious.

"What? No, no..." I felt flustered as my face grew hot. Certainly, I'd dreamed about it, but in the current state of things, my feelings were all confused and jumbled and honestly... I had no idea how to deal with them. I waved my hands in the air, "No, I mean, we're partners, and we're also great friends, but right now no... I'm not his mate."

I was going to add more, about how close I felt to the Doctor, and how we trusted each other, and how in all the universe there was only the two of us Time Lords left, but Clos quickly chimed in.

"I'm glad to hear that you are not mated to him," he said, very seriously, "because I have a proposition of my own."

I flushed, suddenly realizing what this eager young man was about to do.

"Clos, I..."

"No, please, hear me out, Lady Hero... I have noticed you, your brilliant mind and your soft skin which is the same color as golden sand and your skilled eyes. I need a mate." He stood up, laying a hand across his chest. I stood to, blushing furiously, trying to find a place in his dialogue to speak up but finding none. "I will be lonely on my life quest," Clos continued, "and I need a companion who can travel the stars with me, who will be there my whole life. Will you consider the position?"

"Are... Are you asking me to _marry_ you?" I squeaked, alarmed, "Clos, I... You're great and everything..."

"We're nearly the same age," he cut in, frowning slightly like what I was trying to say was confusing, "We'd be able to grow old together, we'd have our whole lives to explore the universe together."

"But I don't _know_ you, Clos," I protested, "I've only just met you! According to my customs, that isn't acceptable grounds for marriage! Believe me! I can't come away with you or anything, okay? I'm happy being with my friend, the Doctor. He's ancient, and broken, and so so caring, and I can't imagine my life without him. I just can't. Please..." I looked into the alien's eyes, and they were hurt. Whatever rules governed his culture, I was obviously breaking them, but I didn't care about any sort of Prime Directive any more, "Please, don't ask me."

There was a very awkward pause in which I held my breath.

"Very well," Clos replied at length, "I shall wait the appropriate amount of time to ask you again." He turned and walked away from our fire pit before I could say anything else, leaving me feeling very confused.

_I don't think I'll ever be as good as the Doctor in dealing with different alien races... Too crazy!_

* * *

><p>I went into our little stone house, settling myself down on one of the reed bed mats and mulling the day's activities over in my mind. The Doctor had not yet returned, and I was beginning to feel a bit anxious when suddenly he lifted the curtain and walked into the room.<p>

"Hey," I murmured, and he smiled at me. "Find out anything interesting?"

"Hm, yes," he replied, taking a seat on the ground near me, "The monks were willing to tell me a bit more about the Truth Garden. Apparently, not everyone turns into a statue, like Clos, sometimes they just slip into a deep trance for a few hours and emerge enlightened."

"Doctor, about Clos..." He looked up at me, hearing the trepidation in my voice.

He frowned. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

I proceeded to tell him about how Clos had basically proposed to me, though I made it as short and simple of a story as possible. I also attempted to keep my voice as casual as possible, but I had a feeling that the Doctor would be able to see right through it.

"Interesting," he murmured, looking at me closely, "and what did you say? That must have been rather exciting, you a young woman getting your first proposal of marriage..."

"I said no, of course!" I cried, embarrassed, "Forget about it being my first, it was weird! I mean, I don't even know him!"

"It's important to remember, Hero, that every race and culture has its own norms. What Clos did wasn't breaching any laws that he's used to, and the fact that he agreed to give you time, even if you told him no, is a testament to his character."

I laughed a bit incredulously. "Well, if he tries to ask me again, I'm going to say no, I'm just fine where I am!"

The Doctor smiled, his boyish features lighting up as he did so. "Tell, me, Hero Smith, why are you happy where you are? Why are you happy... with me?"

I swallowed, unsure of what to say. All the thoughts of what I felt for the Doctor, of how it had felt when he'd plucked me out of my ordinary life and into a world of adventure, of how happy I'd been to save him from the DakTar's twisted ideas of justice, of how fast my hearts beat every time he looked into my eyes and smiled, all of these thoughts raced through my mind. I couldn't make myself say them, they were so personal and the Doctor, well... he'd probably say that they were childish.

"I..." I paused, trying to be careful, "I like traveling around in the TARDIS with you, you're such a good friend and... I trust you." There, that didn't sound too touchy-feely...

"You said, back at the hotel," the Doctor began, "that you'd never found anyone who was mature enough for you. Yes?"

I gulped again as memories of what I'd said that night and the following day while under the love-flower's power. I blushed. "Oh, um, yeah, I think I said something about 20-something human guys being immature and... not ready for any type of relationship."

"So... you haven't dated?" I couldn't believe the Doctor had just asked me that. His head was tilted to one side, his eyes playful.

"Wha... Of course I have!" I sounded like I was protesting a bit too much, but I didn't care, "I mean, it never got serious, most of the time I went out with them because I was being nice. But none of them were very special. And why are we talking about my not-so-awesome love life? Have _you_ ever been in love, Doctor?"

_Oh. God. I did _not_ just ask him that... Oh wait, I did... damn it!_

The Doctor looked at me for a moment, looking uncomfortable. "I, well, I've known some women..."

"And?"

"... Some of them were... nice..." Now it was his turn to swallow, and he unconsciously adjusted his red bow tie. "There may have been... one or two... who were more interesting than the others, I may have... liked them more, perhaps..." His thin face was flushed, and I very nearly laughed despite how weird this was talking about relationships with the Doctor.

"Okay, so, you may have fancied a couple of them, during the span of 900 years, been holding yourself back a bit, Doctor?" I was teasing him, and I smiled to make sure he knew that. He still looked unsure of himself, however. It seemed amazing to me that just a few moments before, when he'd been asking _me_ the tough questions, he'd been cool and collected, but as soon as I started turning the tables on him and teasing him, he got all hot and flustered.

The Doctor flailed his hands a bit. "I didn't... lead them on, if that's what you're asking!" He tried to look indignant and failed because he was blushing too much. "Those women were great, they were brilliant, they were... _cool..._ But it all comes down to much more than that, in the end..." Then he shut his mouth tight, like he'd said too much.

My hearts fluttered a bit at his words. I paused, unsure how to judge my own reaction. Suddenly I had a wild hope that he'd been waiting around for someone special, for someone like him, another Time Lord, and that he'd nearly given up hope but now had it again...

My wild fantasies were cut short, however, but the Doctor clearing his throat uncomfortably and getting to his feet. He straightened his jacket, looking anywhere but me.

"I'll just... go find some firewood, then," he stammered, and then he practically rushed from the small house, leaving the heavy curtain swinging behind him.


	7. Baths, Surprises, and Broken Hearts

**Poor, poor, lonely Doctor... :P**

**Doctor: "Love is giving someone the ability to destroy you, but trusting them not to."**

**Hero: "It's funny how one can feel so much, but cannot say a word."**

* * *

><p>It turned out that the wash basin in our room wasn't really for washing bodies, but rather for dishes and clothes and such, so that night I lay out my towels and bathing things for the morning. After our awkward conversation, the Doctor and I maintained a polite distance, talking only when most needed. My stomach burned with embarrassment and confusion whenever I looked at the Time Lord, and I could tell he was also avoiding my gaze. I had no idea how to interpret his words and actions when I'd asked him about love, and his detachment from Clos was giving me some pretty mixed signals. Was he jealous? Just a friend? Incapable of romantic love? I was grateful when at last my eyes grew heavy and I curled up on my sleeping mat, pulling the soft cotton blankets over me. I could hear the Doctor nearby, getting ready for bed, but I kept my back turned towards him when he blew out the candles and lay down.<p>

Eventually, sleep claimed me, and I dreamed of talking statues and silent monks.

* * *

><p>I woke up just before dawn, blinking as I found myself alone in the small house. The Doctor's blankets were neatly folded on his sleeping mat, his bath things gone. After a moment, I roused myself and slipped into a long robe I'd borrowed from the TARDIS wardrobe. Outside the air was misty and gray, the tall trees overhead slowly becoming visible in the growing dawn. The Doctor had mentioned the night before, during one of our minimalist conversations, that the monks had a large bath house situated a bit into the forest. I followed one of the many dirt paths, hoping I was going the right direction, then came across a long, low building on which was a small sign which read "bath house."<p>

Stepping inside, I found myself in a long, narrow hall, which seemed to run along one whole side of the building. Opening off the hallway were many narrow, wooden doors, some labeled "male," some "female," and two "omnisex." I was a bit confused at the last one, but shrugged and chose one marked "female." I noticed that there was a small sign hanging on the door which could be flipped around to read "occupied," but no lock on the door. This gave me a bit of pause, but after a second's deliberation I opened the door fully and peered inside.

Inside was a nice-sized room complete with low shelves for towels and clothes, a foot-deep pool sunk into the floor, and a thin stream of steaming water pouring into it from a pipe coming from the ceiling. It looked something like a cross between a shallow hot tub and rustic shower. Everything was made of smooth stone and scrubbed clean.

_Hmm... Looks nice and warm..._

I carefully removed my robe and pajamas, folding them and placing them on one of the shelves. I also put my towels as close to the bathing area as possible.

Moving to the shallow pool, I carefully dipped in a toe. It felt perfect, so I stepped right in and began rising my hair and body under the stream of falling water. It was better than a normal shower, I thought, since it felt like someone was pouring water over me at precisely the right pace, and the hot water felt nice as it ran down my skin. I'd brought a few small bottles of soap and shampoo, which I used slowly and luxuriously, letting the bubbles rinse off into the pool and watching them gradually disappear down a small drain in the corner of the tub. Getting an idea, I stooped down in the pool and sat down under the stream of water, finding that the water covered me to my waist quite easily. This was even better, I decided, and I was just about to lie back and relax when a sudden noise at the door startled me.

The door opened.

I screamed, hastily covering my chest and side even though my seated position would keep the view of me fairly chaste. Clos stood framed in the doorway, smiling down at me.

"Good morning," he said, like there was nothing weird about the sight of me clutching at myself in the pool, looking at him with shell-shocked eyes. He was dressing in a loose, white robe, one which gapped open at the chest to reveal his well-formed, scaled chest. I hastily jerked my eyes up to his face as he proceeded to enter my bathing chamber.

"Clos!" I squealed, trying to cover myself even more, "What the hell are you doing? Don't look at me!"

He froze, looking concerned and slightly confused as he regarded my frantic movements. "I'm... I'm sorry..." he managed, "But, you see, I've seen the female form before, I mean nothing by it."

"But you haven't seen _me!_" I cried, reaching as fast as I could for a towel while still keep one hand spread over my bare chest, "Just... just _turn around_ for a moment, okay? Please?"

He nodded, still looking a bit worried for me, then politely turned his head away as I stood and wrapped the towel around my soaking self. At this moment, however, I didn't care so much about the rapidly-soaking towel, but more about the half-naked, admittedly handsome alien in front of me.

"Okay, okay..." I said, and Clos looked back around at me, "Again, why are you in here? It's a private room! And it's for females!"

Before Clos could answer, however, we were interrupted by a great crash from down the hall. A second later, sonic screwdriver buzzing in his hand, the Doctor burst into the small room wrapped in nothing but a striped towel which was clinging rather precariously to his slender hips. His mop of hair was strewn around his forehead, dripping water down onto the pale skin of his bare chest.

"Hero! I heard you scream, are you o-" He stopped short, noticing Clos for the first time. I was blushing furiously now, clutching my towel tightly around myself.

"I think I just startled her," Clos started to explain, as the Doctor slowly lowered his sonic screwdriver and glanced from the green-scaled alien to me, his face unreadable.

"Yeah, he just made a mistake," I chimed in quickly, waving an arm around for emphasis, "He came in much too fast and... and I wasn't prepared, but now everything's okay..." I stopped myself from babbling, feeling my face absolutely glow from blushing so hard. My hair was dripping cold water down my back.

"Ah..." the Doctor murmured, smiling mildly, "I see, my mistake..."

"Thank you, though, Doctor," I began, unsure of what else to say. The Doctor's face was still unreadable to me, and when I tried to reach out my mind to him I felt nothing.

He smiled again, rather sadly I thought, though this may have been my imagination.

"I'll just... find my own room," Clos said, far more calmly then I thought possible. He smiled at me, not bothering to adjust his robe to hide his bare, muscular legs from me. I once again averted my gaze, not really wanting to see any more the young green alien despite his apparent comfort with his own body and physical attractiveness.

Clos turned and padded out of the room, leaving a fog of embarrassment behind him, and I slowly raised me eyes to meet the Doctor's. He seemed to realize that we were both dressed only in towels. His face flushed slightly as he met my eyes, and I knew he could see how embarrassed I was. He shyly brushed his hair from his eyes, dropping his gaze to the floor.

"I'll... I'll let you get back to you bath..." he murmured, then turned quickly and left the room, closing the wooden door behind him with a snap.

* * *

><p>I didn't see the Doctor for quite some time after that. I mean, at first I was grateful, but then in the mid-afternoon I began to feel a bit anxious. Clos had hurried up to me later in the morning to apologize properly, now that we were fully clothed, and I acted as calm as I could and told him it was alright, an honest mistake. I refused to allow myself to relax and give him any more ideas, however, so I firmly and kindly suggested he started looking for a way to get back to his home planet. He was a bit unhappy about this, but politely excused himself to go speak with the monks about transportation. My work done, I took a walk through a part of the forest I hadn't explored yet, my thoughts straying constantly to the Doctor, where he was, and what he had thought when he'd seen Clos and I, nearly naked, in the same bath room. My hearts thudded dully at the memory of the Doctor's dead-pan expression, his own embarrassment and eventual departure.<p>

By the middle of the afternoon, I decided to seek out one of the monks for information as to where the Doctor could have gone off to.

Arriving back at the village, I quickly scanned around for someone to talk to. There was one of the small monks nearby, talking to... Clos. _Great..._ I approaching slowly, not trying to look eager to be near the alien or anything.

"Um... Excuse me..." I called to the monk once Clos had stepped away. The small, furred alien dressed in white robes slowly turned towards me, his deep-set eyes dark and wise as he regarded me. For a moment I wasn't sure how to talk to this odd, important-looking person, so for a moment I simply stared back at the monk. At last, I asked, "Sorry, but... do you know where the Doctor has gone off to? I'm a bit worried, he just disappeared on me."

The monk regarded me in silence for a moment. Then, he croaked, "The elder one was... troubled. He came to me and asked about the Garden of Truth." My stomach clenched at the monk's words. "The elder one's mind is full of images, names, places, facts, pain..." the monk continued, staring at me severely. I drew back slightly, taken aback. "He then walked in the direction of the Garden of Truth. I know not what befell him after."

"Why would he..." Suddenly I felt very worried about the Doctor, and I found my voice shaky as I continued, "Thank you, sir, father, sir, thanks I'll go look for him." I backed away, unable to look away from the small monk's piercing gaze, "yeah, thanks..." I scurried away, heading down the path which would lead me to the collection of stone statues, the people who'd gone to the garden seeking truth and been frozen in time until the right answer came to them.

I froze.

The thought that occurred to me was too much to contemplate. I shoved it aside, breaking into a run, nearly tripping over my feet as the path wound back and forth among the trees. It seemed to be taking longer than I remembered, even though I was running now, and I was going so fast that when I finally did come to the stone steps leading down into the garden I nearly fell down them. I managed to stop, feeling my hearts beat strongly together, and I took deep breaths as I began to descend.

When I reached the foot of the stairs, I glanced around. "Hello? Doctor? Are you there?" There was no reply, so I began to make my way over to where the statues were standing. As I drew nearer, my blood ran cold.

"_I see, this place is full of... something... which transforms a person, any person, into a stone statue... Until the right moment. Interesting..."_

"_I was seeking the truth! No other person could give me the answer for my life's quest, so I took the advice of the monks, came to this sacred place, and... was transformed. Being made of stone taught me patience, peace, solemnity..." _

The stone pedestal where Clos had stood wasn't empty like we'd left it. There were still five statues.

His features carved from the cold gray stone, the Doctor stared out over the forest, looking so sad and lonely that it broke my heart.


	8. Promising the Doctor

Rather than feeling panicked, as I would have if I were still in my human form, I felt only an intense wave of sadness as I looked at the Doctor's statue. Before I could stop myself, I reached out a trembling hand towards his face and gently traced a finger across his cold stone cheek. My throat burned with heat as my eyes overflowed, and several salty tears forced themselves down my face. My fingertips could make out a slight, raised ridge running down the Doctor's carved, still face – a tear of his own, now frozen in the gray rock.

"No, no, no, no... _Doctor..._" I murmured, tasting the salt on my lips and swallowing hard as I tried not to cry harder like a child. It was so foreign, so terrible, to see his normally animated face frozen like this, "What are you doing?" I whispered, reaching out another hand to join my first, gently cupping his face and looking into the distant, sorrow-glazed eyes which stared out, unseeing, over the garden. "Come on, what are you looking for? You didn't need to do this, you silly man, what were you thinking?" I quietly chided him, another tear escaping my overflowing eyes and dropping off into the grass. I slowly released his face, letting my hands fall wearily to my sides, feeling completely worn out and unsure of what to do.

After a silent moment, I allowed myself to contemplate the idea that what had happened to Clos was now going to happen to the Doctor – that he would be trapped in this stone body until he learned whatever it was he couldn't find out any other way. I felt a quicksilver flash of anger, anger at the Time Lord standing so still before me, anger at myself for not seeing what it was he had needed, anger at the universe which had beaten him down so many, many times, that had broken him until he couldn't seem to heal completely any more. But quickly my anger faded as it was replaced with a gentler, more restrained sort of regret. I had to find out what to do, what to expect, how I could reach out and help the Doctor.

"I'll be back, okay?" I murmured, unconsciously running my hands across the Doctor's stone shoulders and down his tweed-covered arms to where his hands were slightly curled, "I promise..." I held his cold hands for a moment, looking carefully at his face for a twitch, a tiny movement, anything to tell me that he could hear me, feel me. There was nothing, not that I'd really expected it, and I released his hands rather regretfully and, turning, ran back through the garden and up the stone steps to the path above. I didn't look back, I couldn't bear the idea of watching him stand there, frozen, as I ran away. I cried instead.


	9. Honesty in the Darkness

**Poor Hero! Pull yourself together, and do something! ;)**

**"Cosmic Love" by Florence and the Machine helped me write this chapter... It's awesome, could be worth a listen...**

**Thank you for all of your lovely comments, they're so so so appreciated and sweet. 3**

* * *

><p>Clos regarded my thoughtfully, his green brows furrowed. I'd just finished telling him the Cliff-notes version of what had happened to the Doctor, trying and failing to keep my voice steady.<p>

"I... hmmm..." he began, scratching his chin in thought, "I'm sorry you're upset, especially since you had no idea what he was planning to do. But Hero... isn't it for the best? I mean," he quickly clarified, laying a gentle hand on my shoulder, "not that it is wonderful for the two of you to be separated, no, but this way he will be able to find whatever truth he is seeking. Do you not with that for him?"

I didn't really have an answer to that question, I actually didn't have any more words to say at all, so Clos patted me comfortingly and walked away. The only people who could really help me figure this whole thing out were the monks, this was their Truth Garden after all. Part of me rebelled harshly against what Clos had said, that this was good for the Doctor, and I had to control my temper as he walked away. But another part whispered that I was being selfish, that I wasn't considering the obvious fact that whatever it was the Doctor needed to know the truth about was very important.

Even though the sun was setting low and the forest was plunged into an early dusk, I sought out the same monk I'd spoken to before; I recognized him at once. He seemed a bit older than the others, his furred face graying and the skin around his eyes beginning the wrinkle. I stood before him, and we regarded each other silently for a moment.

"Please, tell me what to do."

The alien continued to look at me, his dark eyes serious and powerful. I struggled to keep eye contact, but forced my gaze to remain in his because I felt like he needed to trust me in order for him to give me this sort of information.

"_What happens next, young one, it entirely up to you._" I gasped as the monk spoke directly into my mind, and I felt as though a huge wave of energy was crashing against the walls of my head. I looked away quickly, mentally wincing.

"_So... I should do what feels right? I don't understand... The Doctor went off to seek his own destiny, how can anything I want to do affect that? I mean, he's a statue._"

The monk looked at me steadily, and I sensed a thread of laughter coming from deep within his mind. Confused, I was about to ask him again what I should do, but he interrupted.

"_The universe may see you as only one, small, insignificant person, whose deeds in life are but momentary flickers of light. But remember, young one, that sometimes to a single person you may be worth more than every star combined, more perfect than anything else in the universe._"

I stared at the monk, eyes wide, then he chuckled and turned away from me. I found myself unable to speak as he walked away from me, my tongue seemingly glued to my mouth as I struggled to understand what had just been told to me.

Then my hearts soared with a wild hope, and despite the growing darkness, I turned and began to run, sprinted back towards the path I knew would take me back to where I'd left the Doctor standing, looking out sightlessly at the stars.

_I will never leave him alone again._

_Never._

* * *

><p>It was completely dark in the forest around me, the air cold against my arms as I settled on the ground beside the statue of the Doctor. I leaned back against his legs, gazing up to where his empty eyes were looking, towards where the tops of the trees and the stars mingled and twinkled together.<p>

Tucking my knees under my chin, I carefully let my head rest back against the Doctor, feeling the cold stone of him pressed against my skull. I had decided that if he was going to be stuck out here all by himself, that he would have to be alone while he waited for wisdom to arrive. My eyes were dry despite my conflicted mind as I stared up at the stars.

"You know every one, don't you?" I murmured, reaching up a hand and absently touching the Doctor's kneecap, "You could tell me all their names, and how they looked when they formed from stardust, but you've never had an easy time... Everyone in the universe has a problem with you, doesn't understand you, wants to share a bit of your power... How can you stand that?" I lapsed into silence, letting my eyes close as I sighed and relaxed a bit against the stone behind me.

"Don't worry, Doctor, I'll stay here, finding the truth doesn't have to be a solitary activity you know..." My hand on his cold knee grew tired after a while, so I let it drop down to my side as I simply sat there, trying not to think about being cold, letting my body and mind relax and try to sense something, anything, from the frozen Doctor above me. He remained silent and still, and as I sat there I would occasionally catch myself drifting off to sleep right there, leaning against a solid stone statue.

After jerking myself awake for the fifth time, I opened my eyes fully and sat up a bit straighter.

"You know, I could sit here for quite a while," I said, speaking to the general area around me, "I'm a Time Lady now, who knows... this body could last for centuries." I subsided back into silent, contemplating the implications of my own words. How long would the Doctor need to stay stone? And what the hell would change him back? Would it be something that I said or did? Or would some stranger come crashing into our part of the forest, unknowing the part they were about to play in the Doctor's life, me still seated at the foot of a statue I can't ever force myself to abandon. I bit my lip as I imagined the years that could stretch out before me, brushing the creeping moss from the Doctor's shoes as years deepened into decades and longer. What was I waiting here for?

I returned to the complexity of my feelings for the Doctor, trying to sort through them for some kind of cohesive meaning. I felt my entire body tingle as I remembered the first time he ever flashed that beautiful, sweet, eyes-crinkled smile at me, the first time he ever took my hand or kissed my forehead or carried me to safety in the darkness of the DakTar stronghold. I thought about the hope in his eyes when I'd said I wanted to stay with him, that I wanted to look into the Time Vortex so that I could complete my transformation into a Time Lady, so that I could be like him. There were only two of us in the whole of existence, and I knew even then how much it meant to him to have, not just a companion, but a partner. My face flushed against the cold night air as I remembered my uncensored flirting on Gy, how easily I was undone by the godflower's powerful qualities, how the Doctor had cared for me and gotten me to fall asleep to sleep off the affects of the drug. He was always doing that, caring for me, protecting me. I sighed when the image of him frantically charging into the bath house this morning, holding his sonic screwdriver aloft like a sword as he made sure I was alright. I'd been so embarrassed at the time to miss the fact that the Doctor was so in tune with me, was so hyper-aware of me wherever I was, that the smallest squeak from me could send him sprinting to find me, to protect me at all costs.

_Who... who _does_ that?_

_A very good man._

I blinked, realizing all at once what all of these jumbled, complicated thoughts and feelings and images meant.

"I – I..." I couldn't speak properly for a moment as I searched for the right words, "I must..."

_Yes, I must._

"I guess I..." _Oh come on Hero, yeah it's your first time but don't be silly! You know how you feel, don't you? Go on, then..._

"I – I love him... I love the Doctor. That – that's it."

So I stood up, my legs cramped from sitting so long on the ground, and in the dim moonlight I turned to face my Doctor.

"You hear that? You big idiot? You could have asked me, you could have forced me to be brave and say what I've been feeling this whole time. Not everyone in the universe is against you, okay? I'm not, never have been, never will. Can you hear me? I said I love you... You're the first man I've ever needed to tell, and I don't know what happens next, but if you don't wake up within the next new decades I may not have the guts to tell you where you can hear me."

I stared at the Doctor's statue, willing it to move, to blink, to look away from the spiraling stars overhead and down to me. My eyes burned and I trembled with cold and emotion. It's always difficult to admit one's deepest feelings aloud, even to a statue, even to oneself. I blinked at the tears forming in my eyes, as the Doctor remained frozen in front of me. After a moment, shame washed over me as I guessed that telling the Doctor how I felt about him was not at all what he needed to hear, that nothing I had to say was very important at all.

"Come on, damn it!" I cried, seizing the cold stone shoulders in front of me, feeling a single tear spill from my eye and begin to trickle down my cheek, "I don't know what else to do, please... please don't leave me here all alone... Shit, I never thought I'd hear myself beg a man to love me, but you've left me no choice... I love you, please, _please _come back..." There was silence.

Heavyhearted, I leaned against the stone tweed of the stone Time Lord, resting my teary face against the rough, carved fabric. I closed my eyes, letting out my breath slowly as my hearts thudded together. I could feel the wetness of my tears getting onto the stone, making it colder, but I didn't move as I was nearly overcome by despair.

The Doctor's chest rose and fell as he took a breath.


	10. At Last

For a moment I didn't move. I stayed just where I was, my face half-buried against the Doctor's chest, my face damp with my own tears. My own hearts grew still as I began to hear his own, thudding back and forth like a horse galloping. I held my breath, my eyes and mouth open in shock as I felt him take another breath and the stone tweed beneath my cheek instantly became cloth, rough and warm from him. A small sound escaped me as I continued to clutch myself to him, unable to let go.

I felt him move, ever so slowly, his head bending down over my own to rest his cheek against my hair, his arms slowly coming up and enfolding me, pulling me closer as he sighed against me. I squeezed my eyes tightly shut, praying that this wasn't a dream, that my mind hadn't given way to grant me what I wanted.

The Doctor's breath ruffled my hair as he murmured my name, nuzzling the top of my head in a way that could only be real. He was so warm, holding me protectively, and my throat tightened with emotion as I realized that this _was_ happening, that he was holding onto me like he'd never let go. Summoning every ounce of courage I had left in me, I slowly raised my head from where it had been pressed against him. When my wide, fearful eyes were looking into his deep, ancient ones, he regarded me silently for a few seconds. Not even thinking, I reached up between us and straightened his bow tie, letting my hand stay there, resting against his collarbone.

"So... how much did you hear?" I whispered, not trusting my own voice.

The Doctor smiled softly, one hand reaching up to brush a strand of my hair back from my face.

"All of it," he murmured, smiling wider now, "even what you were thinking, everything..."

I blushed.

"I – I'm sorry you had to hear all my emotional rantings," I began, but was silenced as he rested his hand against my cheek. I stopped mid-thought, holding my breath.

"My brave, mad, brilliant Hero, your mind practically screamed at me."

"Ah..." I was embarrassed, yet the fact that one of his arms was wrapped securely around me with the other hand gently stroking the side of my face was immensely comforting. "You know, um..." I swallowed, still looking into his eyes, "I _would_ have waited quite a long time for you, you know... I wouldn't have left."

"His eyes shone and he looked very serious as he replied, "I know."

For a moment, he looked down, losing the connection with my eyes. He remained this way for a moment, and I could sense that he was making up his mind for... something. After a moment, he looked back up, smiling at me, and I could feel his hearts beat faster and his breaths come a bit quicker.

"You won't have to wait for me anymore," he said, swallowing, "I won't do that to you again, I promise."

"Why?" The word left my lips before I could stop it, and I could feel my whole body grow tense as I waited for his response. Every cell in my body depended on his answer.

"Because, because..." He stared at me, and then a rather reckless look came over his face, and he rushed, "because I _love _you, Hero Smith."

"You do?" I breathed.

"I never thought I'd say that to anyone, not really, I never thought I'd mean it, but I do, I do, and that's what I've been wanting to say, I've wanted it for days, but I couldn't, and then I thought that maybe you were falling for someone else, and I didn't want to get in the way, because I want you to be happy, and Hero, I want to make you happy, I want to be there for you even though I'm not very experienced at being with someone, I want you to be happy..."

His face was flushed as he babbled from nervousness, like he was afraid that I'd take back everything that I'd said, like I'd break his hearts in the most casual, cruel way. I smiled as he flailed, his eyes panicking, his hands patting me like he was worried I'd disappear. _So... You've never told anyone, either, hm?_

"Doctor..." I whispered, but he kept talking, something about his previous companions and how they never meant as much to him as I did, and then there was something about how brilliant and beautiful I was, and I knew that if I didn't do something soon he'd give me his soul before I could stop him.

So I crossed the last few inches between us, saw his eyes grow wide, and I kissed the Doctor.

It only lasted a moment, my lips pressed gently to his, feeling the warmth of his mouth against mine like a balm, and then we both pulled away slightly, and he leaned his forehead against mine. His arm tightened around me, pulling my body closer to him, his hand tangling itself in my hair as he breathed, "_Hero..._" I raised my eyes to his, trying not to grin too much, but I quickly grew serious again as he leaned in and kissed me back. I closed my eyes, savoring the sensation of his lips gently caressing my own, feeling us breath together, as I inhaled his scent of peppermint and soft cologne and his own skin. His fingers continued to stroke my hair as he kissed me, his lips parting and nibbling while I wound my arms around the small of his back and kissed him back with everything I had.

We broke apart again, our breathing definitely a bit faster than before, and his eyes asked me a question. "I owe you something," he whispered, like he was asking me permission. Considering my love-glazed state, I would have let him do anything, I would have let him throw me into a pit of monsters, so long as he kept kissing me and telling me he loved me. I nodded, unable to speak, and he swiftly placed his fingers against my temple. I realized a second before it happened what he was going to do, and then his mind enveloped mine.

First he showed me images of his past regenerations, and I caught glimpses of all the times he had been alone, when he had been nearly overcome with loneliness, and I nearly cried. Then he showed me what had happened during the Time War, how he'd been forced to tear apart whole species, including our own, to save the universe, how this act had scarred him, how he thought he'd never be whole again. He showed me a brightly-colored swirl of emotions that he felt when he'd first recognized who I was, even before I'd known, how he'd hoped and longed that I'd want to stay with him, how he'd ached when he thought I was about to die in front of him, how I'd saved his life, the overwhelming happiness he'd felt when I'd said I'd go with him, the jumble of love and confusion he'd experienced when I'd been drugged out of my mind by the painted flower, how even though he thought I was attracted to Clos that he'd still protect me and care for me.

I clung to the front of the Doctor's jacket as I was nearly overwhelmed with images and sounds and emotions, as he poured his love for me into my mind. He trembled against me, and I realized that the link between us was draining him as well. He kissed me again, passionately, the flood of emotions coming from our psychic connection finally becoming too much as my eyes rolled back and I went limp against him.

He instantly removed his hand from my temple, whispering embarrassed apologies that he'd forgotten how new I was to mental links, his strong arms lifting me up like a child as he kissed my forehead. I couldn't move, I was too overwhelmed and happy, but I let him carry me out of the darkened garden, up the steps, out into the forest and down the path, home.


	11. Mornings and New Adventures

**So I was checking out the stats for this story and was surprised and pleased to see how many of you wonderful readers are from around the world! You're all fantastic, and you're so kind with your reviews :) **

**Here's a shout-out to the Brits in the audience (you know who you are!)... Hopefully I'll be able to come visit some day. *happy sigh***

**This next chapter is just a bit of romantic fluff, though I tried to make sure that it was sweet. Let me know what you think! :D**

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><p>I felt very warm and comfortable, wrapped in what felt like a soft blanket, a pillow nestled beneath my neck as I lay on my side. It seemed proper to keep my eyes closed for a moment, just relaxing and enjoying the warmth. Until, that is, I heard a distinctly male sigh behind me and someone carefully draped an arm over my shoulder. My eyes popped open.<p>

Sunlight was streaming across the smooth floor of the little stone cottage, and I realized after a moment that I was lying on one of the sleeping mats with the bedding carefully arranged around me. And the hand which had reached around me to clasp my own was... the Doctor's. I blinked at it, trying to remember what had happened last night after the he'd scooped me up in his arms. _Did I fall asleep?_

I slowly inched my head around a bit, trying to see behind me, and the Doctor murmured in his sleep and pulled me closer. I noticed that his arm was clothed in his plain white shirt, and after another second I registered that I too was still in my day clothes. For some reason this made me even more happy to be snuggled by the Doctor; he had carried me to bed, for sure, but he was such a gentleman that he'd simply plopped me down and kept me warm until the morning, not taking advantage of my unconscious state – and despite our passionate moment the night before. I blushed at the memory, smiling quietly to myself, and I realized that I really, really wanted the Doctor to wake up so that I could make sure that it all wasn't just him playing a joke on me.

Just as I had this thought, however, I felt the Doctor stir against my back, shifting as he woke. He lay still again for a moment, and a thought occurred to me, that perhaps he too was reliving the night's events. Then he casually lifted the arm that was draped over me and gently traced a line down my arm with one long finger. I smiled wider, turning my head a bit so that he could see that I was awake. He quickly sat up on his side, staring down at me with still-sleepy eyes, his mop of hair askew. Then a slow, happy smile suffused his face as he murmured, "Hello again..."

"Hey," I whispered, feeling an inexplicable wave of nerves make me swallow, "Th-thanks for carrying me all the way back here, I kind of... passed out. Why am I always doing that?" He chuckled, fiddling with the blankets a bit.

"You were light, and it seemed like the best solution," he replied, reaching up his hand to gently touch the side of my face. I was instantly reminded of his touch on my face and hair in the night, when we'd kissed so perfectly. I felt my face grow hot, but sat up beside him and brushed my hair back from my face.

"Well, thanks," I murmured, reaching up and fiddling with his sleeve, then with the collar on his white shirt. It felt wonderful to be able to touch him so casually, to keep that everyday contact with the Time Lord which told me that he was mine. He smirked a bit, looking quite pleased that I wasn't taking anything back or running away or freaking out.

"You look mighty happy," I commented lightly, gently poking his chin, "Anything in particular I should know about?"

"Oh, well, you know..." he replied, leaning forward a bit, "there's this wonderful girl..."

"Hm, oh do tell," I giggled. I couldn't help the laughter, it just bubbled out of me. I realized how silly the pair of us looked, flirting and shyly looking into each other's eyes like blushing teenagers. But somehow it didn't matter how ridiculous we looked.

"Oh yes, she's this very special Time Lady," the Doctor went on, smiling boyishly at me, "and there's only one problem."

"Oh?"

"It's my fault, really, and I hope she isn't cross, because it's morning and I haven't greeted her properly."

Before I could say anything he leaned in and gently brushed his lips across mine.

We stayed like that, our faces very close together, our lips mere centimeters apart, and I could feel my hearts racing in approval.

"She... she forgives your momentary... lapse..." I managed, playing along with his joke but also feeling a bit overwhelmed by the fact that within a matter of hours I'd gone from crying over a stone Doctor to receiving his good morning kiss. He smiled, surprising me with a big hug even though we were seated. He was positively vibrating with happy energy, like a bunny about to take off running.

He released me, holding me by the shoulders and grinning. "So, Smith, what should we do today?"

"Perhaps it's time for us to move on to the next planet, continue our grand tour," I answered, reaching up to mess with his hair. He tried to duck away, laughing.

"Okay, okay, we'll go!" he cried, standing and scooping me up with him. Then he set me down on my own feet, though his arms stayed tight around me. I looked up at him, once again unable to find any words to say. I was much too happy to ruin it with fiddly words.

"Come along then, Hero Smith," he murmured, and then he kissed me again. This time he didn't surprise me, and I was able to run my fingers through his bountiful hair and press myself against him. He gasped against my mouth, his hands holding me by my waist and moving down a bit to my hips. After a moment, he leaned back, his face flushed, and he slowly lowered his hands like he wasn't sure what had come over him. I giggled, then began to hurry around packing up the few things we had with us. He began to help me at once, rushing about and dropping towels and bumping into things.

Before we left, I made eye contact with the old monk, who was digging in one of the small gardens. He regarded me for a moment, his expression grave, and then the tiniest of smiles curved his thin lips as I smiled back. Then the Doctor and I, hand in hand, turned and made our way to the space bus loading area.


	12. Snow and The Talk

**Okay, so this chapter was reeeeeally hard to write, but the characters ****BEGGED me to! So here it is.**

**Many relationships require some sort of awkward talk to get everything sorted out, and this is Hero and the Doctor's.**

**Let me know what you think! They're such precious little winkles... ;)**

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><p>The Doctor fidgeted beside me on the snow bank, playing with his gloves and looking a bit antsy.<p>

"You're ready to go back to the TARDIS," I stated simply, watching his nervous movements. He wasn't used to time going on in the normal order, I knew that, and I felt a pang of pity for the Time Lord beside me. He was so used to running that after a while being "grounded," as it were, got to him after a while.

The Doctor looked at me quickly, stilling his nervous hands, and looked instantly remorseful. "I – I didn't mean..." he stammered, taking my cold hands in his own and looking into my eyes, "I don't want to leave because I'm not happy here with you, not at all! It's just... strange..." I smiled, and he relaxed a little, still holding my hands.

We'd wasted no time once we'd arrived on the planet Snow (do I really have to explain what it's famous for?), quickly dressing in the warm clothes provided by the tourist agency and tumbling out into the snow. However, making two-headed snowmen and giant snow forts and sliding down snowy hills will only be fun for so long, before utter exhaustion sets in. So we'd collapsed, side-by-side, on a handy pile of the cold whiteness, and the Doctor had begun to fidget.

"We'll go back tomorrow," I offered, and the Doctor nodded happily. I could tell that he was still worried that somehow I'd interpret his jumpiness as a symptom of wanting to get away from me, so I pulled him in for a quick kiss with icy lips. I pulled back and he sat blinking owlishly at me, apparently still not used to the possibility that I could kiss him at any given moment, without any warning whatsoever. Just to make a point, I kissed him again, longer this time, and was pleased to discover the warmth of his breath against my mouth. When I pulled away this time, I could tell that the Time Lord was trying to keep his professional composure and failing miserably; his face was beet red. I giggled, standing, and pulled him up with me as we headed back to the small cluster of wood cabins on the horizon.

"Wha – okay..." he gasped, as I tugged him along, smirking to myself.

"Don't worry," I laughed, glancing back at his stricken face, "I only want to get warm, it's freezing out here..." He blushed even more, looking like a shy teenager, and I added, "You look like I'm going to kill you!"

As we continued on, slipping and sliding over the snow, I heard him mutter, "Keep snogging me and you just might..." I smiled.

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><p>After we'd changed and recovered feeling in our toes, we curled up on the couch in the small living room. The opposite wall was made of one large window, looking out at the setting sun. It was beautiful, the snowy hills bathed in golden light, fading slowly to crimson and blue.<p>

I yawned, though my mind still felt wide awake, but something about romping about in the snow all day and watching the sun set made me sleepy.

"So... we'll get the TARDIS tomorrow?" I asked.

"Sure," the Doctor replied, casually draping his arm around my shoulders as if he hoped I wouldn't notice. When I did, he quickly whipped it back and looked skyward as if he hadn't done anything. I giggled again.

"Okay, okay," I waved my arms in front of myself, "Doctor..." He met my eyes, blushing a bit.

"Sorry," he said, "it's... been a while since I've been with anyone, I'm a bit rusty." He grinned cheekily at me, some of his normal cockiness returning as I looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Really? Oh... um... Well, if you don't mind me asking... how long?"

He looked a bit uncomfortable like he always did when mentioning his age, but answered me quite casually, "407 years, 3 months, 5 days, give or take a few minutes."

I tried not to let my surprise show. "Since?"

"... since I've... well..." He gestured between us, trying to somehow convey a concept with his arms alone. I was a bit confused, but assumed he meant having feelings for someone else. _Wow, that's a long time..._

"Since... since I've been, you know, _intimate_ with someone." He looked at me with a trace of defiance in his blue-grown eyes.

I stared at him blankly. Then, "You mean _sex_?"

I was blunt, I couldn't help it, and he tried and failed to look shocked, as he often did with Amy Pond. "_Hero!_ … Yes," he added, rolling his eyes as he allowed my crude word to pass.

"Hey, now," I laughed, poking him in the chest, "I was talking about being in a relationship, not just canoodling! How long has it been since you've been in a _relationship_?"

"Oh." He looked somehow relieved and embarrassed all at once as he replied, "Well, not really..." I nodded, encouraging him. "... everrrrr... um..."

I surprised him, I think, when I smiled, really genuinely smiled, reaching out to touch his cheek with my fingers. "That's... You must have been lonely." He nodded slowly, not quite able to add the reflex of pain in his eyes when I said that word. "Doctor, I'm sorry there wasn't anyone else, all those years, but now you can be with me, and... and I love you, and..." His huge smile made me stop talking and just grin back. He leaned closer and gently kissed my forehead.

"I would have waited forever," he whispered.

I quickly embraced him, and we stayed like that for a few minutes as the last light from the setting star faded away into dusk.

He leaned his head against my shoulder, his mop of hair tickling my collarbone. "How about you, then?" he asked, and I could see an evil smile on his face.

"Hm?"

"You told me a few days ago that you'd not found any humans who suited you, is that true?"

I nodded, "Yup, they were much to immature." I made my voice all hoity-toity, and the Doctor chuckled, one of his hands gently rubbing my wrist. "No, really," I laughed, "one of them asked me out by texting me."

"No!" the Doctor cried, feigning great astonishment.

"Oh yes! And then this other guy tried to come on to me by trying to hug me all the time and then..." I pulled a face, "_linger..._"

"Ah, young human males," the Doctor sighed, "so overrun with hormones and things, they hardly know what to do with themselves..."

"Indeed."

We sat in silence for a little while, and I noticed that a few stars were starting to appear in the sky over the snowy landscape.

"So... who was it with?" I asked cheekily, grinning.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Who did you... you know... 407 years, 3 months, and 5 days ago?"

He gave me a pained expression, and I struggled to keep my face straight as I could almost see him wrestling with himself. He fussed with his hair, avoiding my eyes for a moment as he straightened his bow tie and huffed. Finally he decided to replay, muttering, "...Queen Elizabeth the 1st."

I gaped at him, "Ooh you bad, _bad_ boy! So... she..."

"Let's just say, her original moniker doesn't really fit any more..." He looked rather pleased with himself despite his blushing face.

"In this body?"

"Oh, no!" He sat up, turning to look me in the eyes, his face serious, "it was my previous one, he was a bit _cheeky_, the ladies liked him... but this body, I haven't..." He swallowed, not continuing, and suddenly I knew what he wasn't about to say. he nervously scratched his cheek, looking at me with distressed eyes.

"Oh." I sat up too, smiling softly, "Oh, that's just fine, okay? That's... lovely, it _is_! I'm so happy!"

He blinked, confused. "...It is? Don't most women raised on Earth prefer... experience?"

"I'm not most women, love," I murmured, tapping his nose and smiling, "You're fine just the way you are, okay? I'm not some Scarlet woman who goes after all the men, I don't want some sort of... of... _James Bond!_"

"He's a nice guy, by the way," the Doctor added, suddenly distracted, and I laughed out loud in surprise.

Once I'd stopped laughing, I decided that it was time for me to be as honest as the Doctor had been with me. "Okay, I haven't told anyone this, certainly not the girls at school... They'd try to set me up with every single guy they knew just to get me laid..." The Doctor frowned slightly, looking confused.

"I've only gone to bed with one guy, Tim, and he... he didn't love me afterwards like he'd promised." I tried to keep my voice casual, but I could still remember what it felt like to be 18 years old, a stupid freshman in college, thinking that I was in love, trying to make the guy happy so that he'd fall in love with me. Stupid. I smiled sadly and added, "It's for the best, though, Doctor, we were meant for each other..." _So we're both inexperienced, aliens with two hearts, alone in the universe... Wow, this sounds like one of this weird space romance novels! Great..._

The Doctor seemed to sense my discomfort. "You're perfect, Hero Smith" he murmured earnestly, and kissed my mouth.

We spent the night side-by-side, just cuddling together under the covers, and I was happy with this as I drifted off to sleep, leaning against him. Being with the Doctor meant that we had all the time in the world.


	13. The Doctor and My Mom

It felt good to be on the TARDIS again, feeling her tilt and shiver around me, knowing that I was out in space. These were the moments that I really felt like a Time Lady, clinging to the center console, watching the numerous lights flicker and glow.

As soon as we'd stepped onto the time machine, shutting the double doors behind us, the Doctor had thrown his arms wide and called, "I'm home, dear!" laughing as he did so. He looked visibly relaxed now that he was back where he longed to be.

I watched him from across the console; he was engrossed in the display screen, twisting a few knobs here and there, his movements quick and thoughtful. As I observed his nimble fingers twirling a couple of purple buttons, I couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of sadness, because, to be honest, seeing him so drawn into the TARDIS, concentrating on the movements of space of time, letting his job as the Oncoming Storm take him over once more, I felt a bit... left out. There was so much I didn't know about the TARDIS, the universe, anything. I felt a bit small just then, watching him work.

After a few moments I moved back across the control room to the two blue doors, looking out of the small windows at a passing nebula. My breath misted the cold glass, and with my finger I traced a small heart, feeling the cold sink into my fingertip. I jumped very slightly as warm arms encircled me from behind and the Doctor gently kissed the back of my neck, making me shiver.

"Don't worry," he breathed, placing soft kisses all around my hairline, "I haven't forgotten about you."

I smiled, leaning into him and enjoying his spontaneous cuddling. Over the past two days since we'd told each other how we felt, he gradually had become more and more interested in displaying his affection, reaching out for my hand, touching my face, burying his face in my hair. I loved it, I felt so happy when the normally lofty, serious, bumbling Doctor could turn himself into such a gentle, affectionate being. It made my stomach flutter and my hearts throb with appreciation and gratefulness.

"Hey," I murmured, laying my hands on his where they rested, clasped, on my waist, "Enjoying being in space again?"

He hummed in response, resting his head on my shoulder and sighing. His bow tie scratched against me slightly. I slowly turned my head, trying to see his face. He relaxed his hold on me and I faced him, reaching out to touch his shoulder.

"So, where to, Doctor?"

He looked at me for a moment. "Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"

I nodded. "I'd... I'm like you to meet my mom."

He blinked at me, and I chuckled.

"I just would like to see her again, you know, before we go off and have too many adventures, and..." I looked at him very seriously for a moment, "I've never brought anyone home before, you know, it would make her happy."

Still looking a bit out of his depth, the Doctor nodded. "Alright, Hero Smith, we'll go wherever you want to go, though my track record with parents isn't the more stellar..." He took my hand and pulled me towards the center of the TARDIS control room, reaching the console and flicking several switches. The time machine hummed to life, and we began to shudder and spin as we took off into the Vortex. The Doctor grinned at me, and I grinned back, clinging for dear life onto him and to the railing.

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><p>It was raining when we stepped out of the TARDIS. We'd parked some blocks away from my mom's house, since I didn't want to frighten her too much just yet. It was one thing that I was about to introduce her to my new boyfriend, "John," with whom I was going to go having adventures, but it would be another thing entirely if she found out that he was an alien, and <em>I<em> was now an alien, and... It was a bit impossible to even imagine.

"We'll just go in, I'll say I'm getting my stuff, and we'll just say hello and then leave," I said firmly, like I was rehearsing. The Doctor looked a bit nervous; he kept running his hands through his floppy hair and swallowing. I gave him a reassuring smile, took his hand, and led him down the street towards the little white house where I'd grown up.

I'd been thinking about my earth parents, Richard and Lynn Smith, who'd adopted me as a baby from the orphanage the TARDIS had placed me in, who'd given me a name and raised me as their own. My father had died some years before, leaving for me my Time Lord watch which had been the only object in my name when they'd found me as an infant, tiny, big-eyed, staring up at the young couple from my orphanage crib. He'd saved it for me, my father, and my mother had passed it on to me but kept it safe for me while I was away at college. That is, until the DakTar stole it away to use it as a weapon against the Doctor.

In the past few weeks I'd been traveling with the Doctor, I'd felt a bit less attached to my earth parents, and it was painful – the combination of growing detachment and lingering caring and the memories. That's why I just wanted to say hi and leave; I didn't think I'd be able to manage much more than that, not with all my new secrets, and not simply burst in two. I owed my mother the knowledge that I was safe and happy, but everything was much too fresh, too bizarre in a way, to tell her anything else.

The Doctor and I walked up the creaking steps of my mom's house, and I raised my hand to ring the bell. For a moment my eyes met his, and I think he read my inner turmoil, because he leaned forward and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek, nodding towards the door. Encouraged, I pressed the button and waited breathlessly for any sound within.

After a moment, there was a scuffling at the door and a small woman with sad, lovely eyes opened the door – my mother.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, holding out her hands to me, completely ignoring the Doctor for the time being as she hugged me fiercely, "how are you, hon? Missed you, how was school?" I started to answer her as casually as possible, when she suddenly noticed the Doctor. "Oh, hello, who's this, Hero? Friend of yours?" She looked at me with her sweet eyes, smiling.

"Actually, mom, well..." She raised her eyebrows at me. "This is... John... and he's my b-boyfriend. Met him at school!" She looked a bit surprised, but quickly brushed it aside and shook the Doctor's hand warmly.

"Well! Boyfriend! That's wonderful, and you met at school! Now you..." She waved a warning finger at the poor Doctor, who was looking a tad overwhelmed, "be sure to treat my daughter well, okay?"

He gulped, then hastily said, "Of course, Mrs. Smith, I would never..."

"Ooh you're British! Oh goodness your accent is lovely! Hero, why didn't you tell me you had a boyfriend? You must come in and tell me everything, come on..." She literally pulled us inside.

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><p>"So, John, what do you do?"<p>

My mom had made the Doctor and I steaming mugs of tea, and she sat herself down opposite from us in the living room, raising her eyes at the Time Lord.

"I'm sorry? Oh... I'm..."

"He's a doctor," I blurted out, but the Doctor seemed remarkably calm at my blunder.

My mother looked surprised and pleased. "A doctor? Interesting! What kind?"

"Of..." The Doctor only paused for a split second before continuing, "a doctor of cheese-making."

I nearly choked on my tea, but my mother didn't make any sign that this was odd at all, but instead smiled and said, "How interesting! That must be an fascinating field, wait here I'm going to get you some cookies..." She left the room for a brief moment, which I used to recover my breath after choking and staring around wildly at the Doctor. He smiled, mouthing "_It's true,_" and I nearly laughed out loud. Of course, the one degree my Doctor would have had to be... making cheese. I poked him in the side, making him squirm, but we both grew normal quickly as my mother returned, cookie plate in hand.

We stayed and visited for about another hour or so, then my mom sensed, wisely, that I was there to say hello and that perhaps I'd like to go back to campus to rest after my finals. Before we said goodbye, she pulled me aside, putting her arms around me, and murmured, "Hero, honey, before you go... I just have to know, I'm your mother after all, John..." I smiled, I couldn't help it, it was a reflex when I thought about the Doctor. My mom saw this and smiled as well. "You're very happy with him, aren't you? I'm glad." I nodded, unable to speak, and let her hug me. It was very painful knowing how much it would hurt her if she ever found out that my real mother had allowed me to be changed into a human, had sent me off with only a vague hope that I'd survive. I closed my eyes against a couple of stubborn tears which I then hastily blinked away before she could see.

"Thanks for the tea and talking, mom," I said, smiling, "We'll come and visit again soon, after I get school stuff taken care of." She nodded, patting my shoulders, and then she turned towards the hall where the Doctor had been waiting politely for us.

"Well, it was lovely to meet you, John," she began, shaking his hand again, her eyes twinkling, "I hope we see each other soon."

"Yes, that would be very nice," the Doctor replied, and then we left.


	14. Unexpected Christmas Chickens

**After this fluffy chapter, Hero and the Doctor will have to face their last challenge as a new couple before the end of this episode... What do you think is going to happen? COMMENT and let me know your guesses! ;)**

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><p>The hugged me fiercely as soon as we were back inside the TARDIS, and I squeezed my eyes very tightly shut as I lay my face against his jacket. The tweed smelled of spices and peppermint, like him. He patted my back awkwardly for a moment as I attempted to get my eyes to be dry again; seeing my mom, knowing now who she really was to me, knowing that she could never know who I really was, well... It sucked.<p>

"It... sucks."

The Doctor gently stroked my hair, leaning his chin against the top of my head. "I know. I'm very sorry."

I sniffed. "It's okay." I snuggled deeper into his embrace, and felt my hearts gradually relax against his.

"I have an idea that may cheer you up," he murmured, and I raised my face to look at him. He smiled faintly. "Would you like to see someone else?"

I nodded, and he smiled even more and led me over to the console.

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><p>"<em>Rory! Get the big saucepan, I think those carolers are tryin' to break in!<em>"

The Doctor and I stood in front of Amy and Rory's little blue house, me struggling not to laugh as we heard the fiery redhead shouting at her husband and he shouting back that he was not, under any circumstances, about to hit anyone over the head.

I reached up and knocked on the door again, which was followed by a lot of crashing sounds inside the house. We were both shivering; it was just starting to snow in this part of England, and I certainly wasn't dressed for the occasion.

"Alright, alright, hold ya horses..." Amy flung the door open, a wicked-looking pan in one hand and, for some unknown reason, a handful of lettuce in the other. She froze when she saw us, blue eyes wide, then she cheered and jumped forward to embrace the pair of us. Down clattered the saucepan, and the lettuce fluttered down to the ground in a forgotten heap.

"Hey! It's you two! Oh blimey..." She squeezed the breath out of the Doctor and I, and Rory appeared behind her, looking first surprised and then pleased.

"How long..." the Doctor gasped, massaging his ribs once Amy had released him.

"Almost a year, ya numpty," the redhead scolded, scooping up the saucepan from the ground and carefully sweeping the lettuce into the planter with her shoe. When she saw my astonished face, she added, "He's usually getting the times all mixed up, we're used to it..." I blinked, but then smiled as Rory bounded up beside his wife and grinned at the pair of Time Lords in front of him.

"Well, come in!" he cried, grabbing the Doctor's hand and shaking it firmly. He smiled at me and patted my arm a bit carefully as Amy tugged us inside the warmth of their house.

"So... if we're almost a year late, then what day is it?" I asked, letting myself be tugged along into a cozy little sitting room.

Amy and Rory gave me a she-must-be-crazy look, and the Doctor cleared his throat.

"Sorry, Hero, I forgot, but it's actually Christmas Eve here on Earth..."

"Ah – oh..." I managed, still trying to adjust to how easily the Doctor jumped from one time and place to another.

"Here, sit down, we were just about to get supper going," Amy said, nudging us into a couple of handy chairs. Then she pulled the Doctor back up again by his braces and called for Rory. "Why don't the two of you go and check on the chicken, hm?" She shooed the two men out, Rory smirking slightly and the Doctor looking thoroughly confused. Then Amy plopped herself down in the chair next to me and stared at me avidly.

"_Well?_"

I was confused. "Well what? Have you had a good year, Amy? I'm sorry we missed it..."

She waved a casual hand, "Ah, it's nothin', yeah it was good and lovely and _what about you and the Doctor, then?_"

I blinked, suddenly catching on to her meaning, and before I could control it I felt my face grow hot.

"Ooh!" she exclaimed, her face shining with glee, "so it worked out like I told ya it would?"

"Well..." I continued to blush as Amy grew more and more happy, "It didn't start out well, and then for a few hours he was a statue, and then he turned back into himself and we... um..." Amy was listening eagerly, tilting her head to the side and wagging her auburn eyebrows as me. She smirked wider as I paused, not saying what had happened between the Doctor and me, but I couldn't help the happy smile that curved across my mouth.

"I thought so!" she cried triumphantly, practically hopping up and down in her seat. "So, Hero, have you an' the Doctor..." She raised her eyebrows, "you know... have you..." I still hadn't said anything, so she went on, "have ya done it yet?"

I gaped at her, not knowing whether to laugh or be even more embarrassed. I chose to laugh. "What? Amy!" I mock-scolded her, blushing more, "No, we... How could you ask me that? We haven't... We sort of talked about something to do with it, I... not yet..." She smiled genuinely at me, and I thought I could read a bit of relief in her eyes, but I wasn't sure.

"He's kind of like our kid, you know, me and Rory's, I know it sounds strange, but..." She gestured mutely, thinking of what to say, "We've been through so much with him, helped 'im and been there when he needed us, and he's done the same in return..." She now looked at me a bit seriously now, "I'm... glad... he's found someone like you, you're... one of a kind." I felt so pleased when Amy said this, I grinned happily.

"Thanks, that's a nice thing to say," I began.

"... But, when the two of you, you know, do anything... _interesting_... I'm all ears." She winked at me, then laughed to show that she was only half-serious. I gasped and laughed aloud, happy that I had a friend, a girl, with whom I could joke around like this. We were still giggling madly when the Doctor and Rory stumbled back into the room, covered in grease and charcoal. They regarded our laughing faces for a moment in silence, and we quickly sobered and surveyed the destruction of their wardrobes in confusion.

Amy raised her eyebrows at the pair of stricken men, asking the question that didn't really need to be spoken.

"Um," Rory muttered, rubbing a bit of soot off of his chin, "according to the Doctor, the chicken... kind of... exploded."

"I see," I choked, and then Amy and I couldn't hold back our laughter any more. We clutched at each other as the boys looked very hurt that we could possibly laugh at such a situation. The Doctor met my eyes through blackened, messy hair, and I winked at him. His shy smile was enough to make any past sadness leave my mind immediately.

"So..." Amy clapped her hands together, "Chinese food?"


	15. Christmas, Kisses, and Rings

**Ahhh yes I'm a hopeless romantic at heart... :D**

**This is the concluding scene for "Hero and the Doctor: The Forest of Whispers"...**

**But don't fret! Tomorrow I will begin the third Hero-and-Eleven episode, and based off of the ending here, it will be exciting for sure! Perhaps M... We'll see ;)**

**Geronimo!**

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><p>Sometime before bedtime (Amy had made up the little guest room for us), the Doctor disappeared in the TARDIS for a few moments, returning looking highly pleased with himself. Several new wrapped gifts appeared under the little decorated tree in the front room. Before it had gotten too late, Amy and I had slipped off to visit the large chain store across town which would be the only store open. We gathered a few extra items that would be needed in the morning, and a few surprises of our own.<p>

"Mind the bedbugs, now," Amy chuckled to the Doctor and I as the four of us bid each other goodnight and went our separate ways, Amy and Rory up the tiny staircase, the Doctor and I into the quiet, darkened side bedroom. The Doctor had brought us a few things from the TARDIS, including my blue nightie and robe. He politely averted his gaze while I changed, then quickly removed his jacket, braces, and trousers before sliding under the covers of the little white bed. I hopped in beside him, cuddling close to him for warmth. He encircled me in his strong arms, laying a kiss on my forehead and sighing as he got comfortable.

"Wait," I murmured, sitting up slightly, and he raised his head, his face barely visible in the starlight coming from the window beside the bed. He looked into my eyes for a moment, then he reached up to gently stroke the skin of my exposed collarbone and throat. Warmth flooded throughout my body and I kissed him, slow and fast and deep. He was slightly surprised, making a small sound against my lips, but within seconds I could feel him wrapping his arms around me, pulling me in close. Our lips parted at the same time, exploring the sensation of each others' lips against our own. I felt a rush of love and protectiveness coming from him, much like I'd felt when he'd joined his mind with mine on that first night, when we'd admitted our feelings for each other. I sighed against his mouth, a thrill going through me as he gently took my face in his hands and kissed me even deeper.

After several lovely minutes, we broke apart, staying close enough to feel the warmth from the other's breath on our faces. I grinned, I couldn't help it, and the Doctor's expression was a combination of shock and awe. My expression changed as I realized that he was feeling a bit overwhelmed from kissing me, his young-and-ancient face shy as a boy's. I smiled kindly at him, stroking the side of his face with my fingertips. He finally smiled, taking the hand that was on his face and kissing it before placing it between his hearts. He pulled me down beside him on the bed, me laying my head against his collarbone, my hand still clasped by his against his chest.

"_I love you, Hero,_" he whispered.

"_I love you, Doctor,_" I murmured, placing a soft kiss on his skin.

"_Hey..._"

I looked up at him, and his eyes were shining.

"_Tomorrow's Christmas..._"

I sighed happily.

"_Hero..._"

"_Yeah?_"

"_I could lay like this forever..._"

"_Me too..._"

And together we drifted off to sleep, remaining like that until dawn peeked in the window.

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><p>The Doctor held up the strange object, slowly turning it back and forth between long fingers. His brow was furrowed as he contemplated it, his other hand poking at different parts as he twirled it.<p>

"Ah! I see, it appears to be some sort of exotic egg whisk!" He looked very pleased with himself.

"Ahahaha no, Doctor, it's a head massager," Amy laughed, taking the device from him (which granted did look like a strange, alien device for extracting brains or something) and demonstrated its use on herself. "See? The long tines go over yer hair, and... You hold the handle part and move it around to massage. Yeah?" She handed it back to the Doctor, who took it carefully, still looking a bit skeptical. He slowly raised it above his own head, gradually lowering the long, curved metal rods into his own hair, pressing them into his scalp. We all nodded encouragingly as he stopped, still holding the odd present like it was going to bite him. Then, slowly, he lowered the raised the massage tool around on his skull. All at once his head jerked back as he exclaimed "_Oh!_" His face instantly turned bright red as he jerked the thing off himself, clapping a hand over his mouth.

"That's the general idea, Doctor," Rory laughed, grabbing the present from me and ripping it open. He and Amy ooh'd and ahh'd over the matching TARDIS-blue tea muugs I'd gotten them, complete with some truly amazing alien tea the Doctor had left lying around the TARDIS. The Doctor continued to cover his mouth, his eyes wide, his other hand reaching up to fix his hair. I caught his eye, and he removed his hand but remained flushed after his uninhibited display of pleasure. I winked at him, then smiled to let him know I meant nothing by it. Of course, some small part of me wished I could whip out that amazing head massager and make him go crazy...

I snapped out of it quickly once we started opening presents again. Amy and Rory presented me with a lovely leather scrapbook for me to keep on my future adventures. They got the Doctor a pair of truly wild, polka-dotted socks which he put on at once. But the best gifts, unsurprisingly, came from the Doctor himself. To Amy he gave a beautiful silver necklace with a glowing green gem on it, which, he explained, was a heartflower from the Garden Nebula. Rory got a real, honest-to-goodness Roman helmet, which sent Amy into peals of embarrassed laughter as Rory put it on and gave her a naughty look. Last of all, the Doctor turned to me, his composure recovered from his massage incident, and he handed me a small box.

"Ooh, I'm excited," I exclaimed, carefully undoing the silk ribbon that held it closed, "What is it?" He shook his head, smiling proudly. I slowly opened the lid, and Amy and Rory leaned forward eagerly to see what the Time Lord had gone off to get me the evening before.

All three of us gaped at the box's contents. It was a pearl ring.

Wordlessly I looked up at the Doctor, my eyes burning as I cradled my gift in my hands. Amy and Rory looked back and forth between us, also speechless.

The Doctor shrugged, unable to keep from smiling, "Well, I know it's a bit old-fashioned in the grand scheme of things, and really just an Earth tradition, but then again, Hero Smith, you were raised on Earth – during your conscious years, of course – Anyway, that pearl belonged to a _very_ famous queen from Egypt, bet you can't guess which one..."

"Doctor..." I found that my hands were trembling. "What does this mean?"

He looked very surprised, then a bit confused. "I suppose I've never done this before, but still, I'd thought it would be obvious, but if it's not perhaps I should wrap it up again in a different color, perhaps pink this time, then you can open it again and -"

He was babbling again, and my time spent with him reminded me that when the Doctor started babbling like that it meant that he was either trying to get out of a dangerous situation or was... very, very nervous.

"A-are you..." I only just managed to find my voice, and my hearts thrummed together in my chest, beating out a powerful rhythm of four. "Are you... asking me to... marry you? Doctor?"

He stopped talking immediately, his eyes wide and stricken as he looked at me. He swallowed hard, and I realized that he wasn't making a bungled proposal at all, he was trying to make a _proper_ proposal but was so worried that I'd reject him that he was dancing around it. My bluntness made him stop short.

There was a very full pause.

"Doctor?" I stood up, clutching the box in one hand and laying the other on his arm.

His eyes were so full of emotion that it was difficult to make eye contact and not get swept off into the maelstrom.

"_Please..._" He whispered it so quietly that for a second I thought I'd imagined it. "_Please, Hero, say you'll be with me... always... I need you._" There was such raw need and love in his eyes that I could feel myself tearing up a bit as I looked at him. There was a hearty sniff behind me and I saw that Amy and Rory were holding each other, both looking a tad weepy as they watched the Doctor and I. Turning back to the Time Lord, I reached up and brushed aside his long mop of hair.

"_I love you,_" he whispered brokenly, and I knew then that every word that fell from my lips could mean the life or death of him. A wave of happiness crashed into me so unexpectedly that I bit back a gasp, falling into his arms and kissing him before I could even think about it.

When we broke apart, his eyes shown with joy. I deliberately removed the pearl ring from its box, slowly sliding onto the ring finger on my left hand. Then I looked back up at him, shocked to see a single tear glistening on his cheekbone.

"_Yes_," I whispered.

And so I sealed my fate; I was to be a Time Lord's wife.

The Doctor kissed me.

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><p><strong>The End...<strong>

**For now! Check back tomorrow! I'll write! I promise! :)**

**Love to you all, SilverTortoise**


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